Immortal Twilight
by BloodEater
Summary: After being hurt, Xander is sent to live with his uncle in Forks Washihngton. Unknowingly thrust out of the dark and into the twilight. Slash.
1. Chapter 1

Bleak, harsh white burned his cornea's as he slowly woke, increasing the heavy squeezing throb in his head. Fire in his chest made it hard to breath, and every time he inhaled, his chest felt like it was being skewered with something large and ragged. Everything felt heavy and fuzzy, making him unsure if he could actually feel his limbs. Where was he? Why was he here?

Dr Carlisle Cullen moved quickly towards the private room his priority patient was located, checking his pager as he jogged quickly, trying to appear normal even as he heard the racing heartbeat and scented the heavy tang of fear. He veered, slipping into the room, almost freezing at the sight of the wild eyed youth holding a scalpel to the nurses neck, which in itself was impossible. The teen had a severely broken left leg, his ribs had had to be held together so they would heal, and at last check, he'd been in a coma with a severely cracked skull, and those where just the tip of the ice burg.

"Who are you? Where the hell am I?" the boy demanded, keeping his back to the wall and his eyes on Carlisle.

"My name is Carlisle Cullen, I'm your doctor" Carlisle answered quietly, hands held up in plain view. Charlie hadn't mentioned anything about a possible violent reaction, but then again, with how the teen had come to be injured, it shouldn't be such a surprise.

"Your in the hospital, Fork's memorial, in Washington." He took a tentative step forward, trying to calm the teen and reassure Jane. He saw the shock on the teens face.

"What's the last thing you remember?" He asked the teen keeping his tone soothing.

"Going home." The patient answered quietly, the fight went out of him in a second, the scalpel clattering to the floor as he released the nurse, Jane immediately caught he young man as he sagged. Carlisle move over helping get the boy into his bed. "Why am I here?"" the boy asked confused, tone heavy with pain.

"Your uncle had you transferred." Carlisle eyed the mortal as they settled him, re hooking him to the machines. "Jane can you call the chief?" He looked at the shaken nurse, who nodded about to dash out.

"Um, sorry. About the whole…" He motioned with his lightly bandaged hand to his neck sheepishly, but honestly. Jane gave him a shaky smile before she left.

Xander swallowed as he looked up at the amber eyed pale doctor, wordlessly letting him complete his tests. He felt like a complete idiot for reacting the way he had, but what was he dong in Forks, and why would Rory transfer him hear? It did however explain why he didn't recognise the nurse, in Sunnydale Jessie's older sister Val always tended to him anyone else got the same scared knee-jerk reaction. He froze as cold fingers felt for the pulse in his wrist Xander's earlier fear returning making his still racing heat quicker, looking at the window in the room relief blew his fear of a possible vampire attack out of the water as he saw sunlight. Weak from what he could only guess was an over cast sky, but more than enough to toast any vampire not totally covered. He looked back at the Doctor, trying not to let the pain and confusion show.

"When can I leave?" He asked quietly hoping he could leave quickly, his dislike and fear of hospitals leaving him on edge around the seemingly nice doctor.

"Leave?" Dr Cullen frowned at him. "You've just woken from a eight day coma, and have just had a total of five surgeries, three on your chest, one on your head and another on your leg, you can't leave." Dr. Cullen shook his head and Xander winced, that was going to be very expensive. He swallowed as the extent of his injuries sank in, eyes drifting to the cast that covered his whole left leg. Not for the first time he wondered what the hell had happened to him,

"I'm O.K Really, I should get home, Sunnydale's along way away." Xander peered at the doctor, he was getting out of hear as soon as possible.

Dr Cullen shook his head. "Even if you could be discharged, you need to wait for your uncle to arrive." The blond Dr ordered, picking up his chart and making notes.

"I'll wait for Rory." Xander nodded reluctantly Dr Cullen frowned at him a moment before nodding.

"It looks like your ready for your next dose of antibiotics, I'll be back with them." Dr Cullen put his chart in the end of the slot and left.

Xander waited a few minutes before carefully switching off the machines, plucking the stick pads from his arms and chest, unhooking the IV. Gingerly he shifted, having to pull his cast covered leg off the bed, biting his lip he got onto his good leg. Now the adrenalin had left he was in pure agony, he locked his jaw as he forced himself to move, his bandaged arm held gently against his bandaged torso. He made it around the bed, having to drag his useless leg he had to pause at the end of his bed to rest picking up his chart as he caught his breath. He looked at the chart forcing himself to focus on the words, anything to take his mind off the pain. His eyes widened at the long list of injuries, beginning to feel slightly sick. How the hell was he alive? he dropped the chart to the foot of his bed looking around the room he noticed a blue robe hung on the door, trying to prepare himself, he forced himself to move, shuffling towards it at a slow agonising pace. Every step made him want to scream, every breath made his vision dim, but he had to get out of the hospital.

Moving like a man eighty years his senior he pulled the robe on. He didn't have a clue what to do, or a plan to get back to the hellmouth, all he knew was the burning need to leave the hospital. Idly he wondered how he'd ended up so badly hurt, it was second to the question of why Rory would have him transferred to a hospital in Washington.

Xander shuffled down the corridor, ducking into an open door as he saw two men in scrubs move towards the double doors down the hall. Looking around he eyed the locker room nervously, moving deeper into it s he herd the two men near the room. He hobbled around a row of cold steel lockers opening the nearest one, momentarily marvelling at the lack of locks. He grabbed the scrubs he saw, checking their size, scrubs where better than a hospital gown any day. Carefully he sat on the bench, jaw clamped as he tried to get the scrubs on over his cast. His ribs and chest made the task near impossible, the pain growing so bad he very nearly found himself passed out several times forcing him to pause while he tried to catch his breath.

Eventually he got the pants on after half a dozen attempts, able to stomp his bare foot into a sneaker about two sizes too big. The plain dark blue top proved easier to get on. Quietly he made his way back to the hallway almost two decades of sneaking came in handy as he made his way out of the hospital without being spotted, ducking out into the freezing wet afternoon.

He walked slowly, arms around his ribs as he forced himself to hobble down the road, shivering hard as he tried to remember how he'd gotten hurt, and no way was he sticking around for Rory to show up and rub his face in it. Deciding he wasn't moving fast enough to dodge anyone who might be looking for him, he headed off the road and into the thick wooded area the road cut through, moving far enough in to avoid being seen by passing cars, but not to far that he'd get lost.

All to soon, exhaustion forced him to stop as the pain became so far from intolerable he was ready to keel over, instinctively he found a large raised tree root that had enough room for him to curl under, affording him at least a small measure of protection from the slow drizzle. He curled up as tightly as he could, trying to keep warm as he shivered. It was too cold for him out hear after growing up in California. His eyes slowly slid shut as he looked around the alien landscape, he'd never felt so alone in his life.

Xander jerked awake, unable to stop the scream of agony as his injuries where jarred. His breathing was uncontrollably harsh as he half sobbed, half heaved, his whole body freezing. Tears splashed down his cheeks as he climbed out of his refuge. He felt sick as he finally got to his feet and not just from pain, he'd known they hadn't liked him, he was used to being hit in fact, but what they had done…

Blindly, he began to walk, eyes burning with tears that scalded his face. Every lance of pain from his injuries brought with it a flash of memory. A fist that smashed into his jaw, knocking him down. A boot to the chest as he stared at his fathers infuriated face, Uncle Rory at his side cheering him on, adding his own hits when his dad had paused to catch his breath. Fists and feet raining down on him, getting faster and faster as his mom, as his mom watched from the couch, her eyes dull and dispassionate. He didn't' know what he'd done to deserve such a beating.

Xander scrubbed at his eyes unable to stop the tears that ran like rivers down his face, feet stumbling as he shuffled, every time he put weight on his injured leg a sob would be wrenched from him. With every tear that fell, the more angry he got. Anger at his family, who'd done this to him. Anger at himself for feeling like he did, at feeling betrayed that they'd tried to kill him, grief his parents hated him enough to kill him. Yet even angry, he couldn't stop the tears.

It seemed like an age before the tears stopped, his chest on fire from his harsh sobbing and panting breathing, but he couldn't stop moving, wouldn't. There was no way he was going back to the hospital, no way letting them find him. He would not go back to Sunnydale either, he…couldn't. A dark laugh bubbled up, they'd probably sent him here for some sick twisted reason. It just made him all the more determined that he was definitely not going back to the hospital.

Eventually he was forced closer to the road as the light began to fade, nothing in him wanted to be caught in an alien environment in the dark when he was this injured. He didn't need to listen to the harping from his own personal peanut gallery to know he was easy prey for any hungry hunter that he could come across out hear.

After so long of uneven rough earth, the firm, flat earth at the side of the road was almost a relief, he had no idea how long he'd been out of the hospital but the darkening sky made him worry. He was alone, injured, and exhausted with only the clothes on his back, the stolen hospital cloths on his back. His only comfort was the cold, the frigid freeze that surrounded him, numbing the agony that raced through his body like an inferno. His eyes tracked the floor as he shuffled along, he wanted so much to curl up some where and sleep, to let the numbness take his pain but he couldn't, it was against everything in him to just give in. So he Pushed on., hardly noticing when dirt gave way to pavement, the trees pulling away from him, the wood getting thinner and thinner until it finally gave way to buildings.

A hand on his shoulder startled him, causing him to react, instincts developed over the years and instincts forced into him had him spinning, reaching up and to grab the hand, yanking as hard as he could as he spun sending whoever it was into a flip to land flat on their back. His casted foot pressed against a neck as he held the wrist in a lock, bent back pain fully. He almost hit the floor as the perfectly performed army variation caused pain to blossom in his leg and torso, his vision dimming as his eyes prickled. The person under his foot let out an agonised yelp for the both of them.

Panting hard Xander eyed the person under his foot, seeing a teen his own age staring up at him, face screwed up in pain. Looking up he froze, he was stood out side of a diner near him to his left was a black van with the side door open, teens stood around the open door and sat in the back all staring at him in shock. Inside the Diner patrons where turning to look. His eyes scanned the street for some where run, someway avoid the staring people, he let go of the teen at his feet and hurried across the street. His heart was hammering as he stepped onto the road, eyes on the other side as he searched for possible escape routes. The soldier in his head rattling off possibilities and discarding them faster than he could move. He didn't see the car that came hurtling around the corner, but he heard the screech of tyres on asphalt and the protest of brakes. He turned in time to see the silver car skid towards him as it tried to stop, his heart beginning to speed as it got closer. He didn't' dare close his eyes as it got closer, and then it stopped. Xander looked down at the bumper, swallowing at the sight of his now shaking knees pressing against it. The whole street had gone eerily silent. The sound of the car door being thrown open was deafeningly loud in contrast pulling his attention up to the guy who got out.

"What the hell are you PLAYING AT!" The driver got out stalking forward before stopping a few feet away. Xander looked up in shock, eyes taking in the pale teen that stood there, almost black eyes wide, his jaw clamped shut hard enough Xander could make out the muscles twitching beneath the marble like skin, his hands where clenched at his sides. Xander blinked, what was he playing at? He couldn't help it, the words practically spewed from his lips.

"WHAT am I PLAYING at?" He demanded in shock. "I'M not the fucking lunatic racing around town doing fuck knows how fast!" He couldn't help it, his voice rising until he was shouting at the guy, who blinked, taking a step back in shock, like he wasn't used to someone getting back in his face.

"Well if you'd watch where your walking!" The guy snarled. Xander blinked at him, hands clenching into fists as he hobbled around the front of the car.

"I DID watch where I was going numb nuts so WHY don't YOU watch where your going!" He snapped as he turned and continued to head for the other side of the road. He cursed as he saw a squad car turn on the street, swallowing and trying to hurry up. He ducked his head his arm going to his ribs when he herd the car slow to a stop and the door open.

"Alexander?" Some one, a male called from behind. Xander ignored it, no one called him Alexander. He turned at a side street, heading down. "XANDER!" The man called. Xander froze, half turning to look at the officer, he didn't know him, so how did the guy know him. "C'mon Kid." The guy nodded to the squad car Xander eyed him wearily, deciding the man wasn't going to arrest him.

"Am I under arrest?" He demanded flatly, the officer blinked in shock frowning at him.

"No." The officer stated slowly.

"Then thanks, but no thanks." Xander turned resuming his slow shuffling walk.

"Kid, you need to go back to the hospital!" He called.

"No thanks, I'm good" Xander waved his good arm behind him at the officer, trying to slow his heart. Today was going from bad to worse, he heard the officer quietly talk to some one, he didn't have a clue who so he kept walking, sending up a prayer to any one who was listening.

Could this day get any worse? He thought tiredly. Really, like he was going to stick around for Rory to show up, he wasn't suicidal thank you. As far as Xander was concerned they could all take a flying leap and he wasn't the only one. The Hyena was so angry that his Pack had done this to them she wanted to hunt them all down and spend a long time teaching them just who the Alpha of their pack was. The fact that she'd learned while she'd been stuck in the back of his head made her rage all the more worse, she understood that human parents didn't do what his had done and his very own Tackelberry wanted to get very inventive with some land mines, the Harris house, their vices of choice, some chloroform, and deadbolts. In fact, he mused as he continued on his way, they where a lot more THERE than they had been in a long while.

Keeping his head down, he forced his self to keep going, he had no idea where he was going and there was no doubt in his mind that he wouldn't be able to walk there. The simple fact was, Rory was somewhere in town, and if Rory was in town then Xander sure as hell wasn't going to be any longer than necessary.

His racing heart had finally slowed, but with it went the adrenalin the pain flared up again. He moved to a high fence surrounding a property, leaning back against it as he rested. Another squad car turned on the road, making him duck his head, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Any hope he had was dashed when the car slowed to a stop before him. Xander watched from under whiplashes as a man in his thirties climbed from the car, face drawn in relief as the man looked at him.

"Thank god!" The man moved over his tone relieved, Xander watched the man come closer with frown ."Xander right?" The man asked softly Xander nodded wearily, eyeing the man as he offered his hand. "I'm Charlie Swan, I'm your uncle."


	2. Chapter 2

Xander stared at the man in front of him, the man declaring himself as his uncle. Xander snorted in disbelief shaking his head and pushing away from the wall, this whole day was to surreal.

"Xander?" The man, Charlie if he was to be believed frowned at him.

"I think you've got the wrong guy." Xander offered weakly peering up at the man, he had no idea who this man was at all.

"Your Alexander Lavelle Harris?" Charlie asked quietly, keeping his tone soothing like the doctor had. The man was acting like he was going to be spooked or something, either that or the guy knew he would do a runner if he had to. He nodded reluctantly that the man had his name right. "Jessica, your mother, is my little sister." Charlie told him, Xander blinked in confusion, as far as he knew his mom didn't have a brother. Then again he'd never heard much about his mom's side of the family other than that his dad had hated them. He eyed the man a moment, if he believed Charlie he had a family out side of his parents and Rory in Sunnydale.

"What's my moms birthday?" Xander demanded eyeing the man as he lent back against the wall.

"June 3rd." Charlie answered looking at him. "Why did you run from the hospital?" He asked with a frown.

"I thought Uncle Rory was waiting for me." Xander shrugged, trying for nonchalant as he continued to watch the officer, Charlie seemed genuinely concerned about him. Charlie shook his head before answering.

"No, Rory Harris isn't in Forks. He's looking at a long prison sentence." Charlie looked at him, waiting for his reaction.

"It's not the first time." Xander answered simply, shifting to look at the darkening sky.

"Come on kid, lets get you back to the hospital, you really shouldn't be out." Charlie nodded to the car. Xander eyed him again weighing his options, biting his lip a moment.

"Where are my parents?" he finally asked, he hoped to everything holy he could trust this man.

"In jail, waiting for their court date." Charlie answered, Xander snorted softly. Knowing Sunnydale like he did, they'd probably get off with a fine or something. He pushed off the wall and headed for the squad car, he was past the point of caring now, he hurt too much. He heard Charlie's sigh of relief from behind him before the man moved around to help him into the front of the car.

The hard car seat was heavenly, he couldn't help but relax as his injuries no longer had to support him, he looked at Charlie as the man climbed into the car before resting his head back.

"So your mom's older brother?" He asked turning to watch the scenery as the car began to move.

"Yeah, she ran off with that bastard Tony when she was your age. I didn't know she had a kid until a nurse at Sunnydale memorial called." Charlie told him quietly Xander closed his eye's a moment.

"Val McNally?" He asked quietly, going back to watching the world pass by.

"I think that's her name. You remember how you got hurt don't you?" Charlie asked after a pause.

"Yes." Xander answered bluntly, he was to tired to pussy foot around. Yeah he remembered his parents and uncle had tried to kill him, a pregnant silence hung in the air between them.

"Your stuff is at my house." Charlie piped up after a moment, Xander frowned turning to look at the officer he was apparently related to. "I've got custody of you until you eighteen." Charlie took his eyes off the road to look at him, gauging his reaction to the news. What could Xander say to that, how many times had he wished some long lost family member would come and take him away from Sunnydale, how many times had he prayed someone would notice the bruises and broken bones. He wanted to laugh, he'd resigned himself to dying on the hell mouth, laying in some gutter to rot after being taken out by some hungry fledge or a drunk driver and now hear was this long lost Uncle telling him he was out of there.

'Perfect, just perfect!' he thought sarcastically. His eyes drifted down to his left leg, even if he wanted to go back to the hell mouth and help the gang with Spike and his loony-tune girlfriend, what could he do like this? At the moment he really was as useless as they thought he was.

"Don't worry, I'm not that bad to be around. Just ask Bella." Charlie offered quietly, Xander took his eyes off the trees out side to look at his would-be uncle. Grate so now he was getting between his uncle and the mans girlfriend and they'd only just met.

"Bella?" He asked quietly, it was an easier subject to fill the uncomfortable periods of silence that kept creeping in.

"My daughter, your cousin I guess. She's about a year younger than you." Charlie smiled proudly, it didn't take a genius to tell the man was proud of his daughter. "She can't wait to meat you, you know, I think she even dragged Jacob around town looking for you today." Charlie offered as they pulled onto the hospital's drive. Xander winced, now he felt like a complete idiot.

"Sorry about that, I really don't like hospitals." He offered quietly as the car stopped just off the ambulance bay.

"We figured, I'm just glad your ok kid." he smiled getting out of the car.

Xander opened his door, wrestling with his useless leg. He accepted Charlie's hand as the man helped him out, unable to help the low groan of pain as his ribs twanged. He took a moment to collect himself as Charlie shut the car door, before setting off for the doors. He didn't like to feel so useless so there was no way he was sitting in a wheelchair and being pushed around when he'd walked out of here. He ducked his head as he spotted the doctor from earlier, wincing slightly as the man noticed him.

"Chief, you found him!" The doctor sounded relieved.

"All the way on the other side of town doc." Charlie nodded, Xander shifted a little to look around the reception uncomfortably.

"Impressive." Dr Cullen murmured and he did sound impressed, Xander looked up at the pale man trying not to show how weary of him he suddenly was. What was he going to say if they asked about it? "Well, let's get you back to bed, I want to make sure you haven't torn any of your stitches." Dr. Cullen motioned behind him towards the orderly with the wheelchair. Xander eyed the contraption of evil, fighting down shudder.

"Yeah sure, which way?" He asked, eyeing the corridors, trying to find something he recognised from his escape.

"Don't like wheelchairs?" Charlie asked softly, looking at him.

"Not when their for me, no." Xander answered flatly.

"This way." Dr Cullen began walking reluctantly, shaking his head at the orderly. Relieved Xander followed, Charlie at his side. "I believe Bella and her boyfriend are waiting for you." Dr Cullen look at them over his shoulder, weather it was directed at him or at Charlie he didn't know, but since he didn't know Bella or her boyfriend he assumed it was the latter.

"How long before I can get the cast off?" He asked hating the way his useless leg dragged, he honestly didn't care at the moment that it would probable hurt a lot worse with out it, at the moment he just wanted the damn thing off, hell he'd sneak out and cut it off himself if he had too and it wouldn't be the first time either.

"Not for a few months I'm afraid." Dr Cullen answered as the turned down a hall Xander immediately recognised, he felt his heart plummet. He followed them into the room he'd escaped from not to long ago, eyes halting on the two figures inside. A pair of teens, one pale from lack of sunlight and the other Native American. The first thing he notice was the way the hyena seemed to still in his head when his eyes clapped on the boy across from him, he couldn't help but hold the dark eyes. Spot was on edge, unsure weather this boy was a threat. He was relieved when the boy broke eye contact first, and he continued towards the bed before anyone could take notice, slapping a cheerful Xander-smile on his face.

"Your Bella right?" He offered the girl his hand on the way to his bed.

"Yeah, this is Jacob." Bella shook his hand. The newly identified Jacob shook his hand after.

"Xander." he nodded to the two, sitting on the bed with a wince. He looked at the Dr as he pulled himself further onto the bed. "Can't I get an air cast or something instead of this? it's kinda hard to walk." he asked hopefully.

"That's the idea, we had to place pins in your leg to hold the bones together while they heal, I'm afraid the cast won't be coming off for a few months." The Doctor moved over and began reattaching the sticky pads, shooting a look at Charlie while he worked.

"Come on you two, let's let the Doctor work." Charlie ordered hand dipping into his coat, he withdrew his wallet as Bella and Jacob moved over and handed them some money with orders to go get something to eat. The two teen left, leaving Xander with the doctor and potential uncle. Xander eyed the two men a moment.

"So how bad is it?" he asked quietly, waiting for any facial expression that would give them away.

"I'm surprised you where able to get as far as quickly as you did." Dr. Cullen told him quietly, gently lifting the blue top and got to work on unwinding the bandage around his ribs as a nurse walked in. Xander held back a sigh, he'd seen the chart, but half of the words he only knew the vague definition of.

"I'm a big boy doc, I can handle it." he looked between the two men.

"There's a chance you'll need a walking aid, and possible a brace for the rest of your life." Dr. Cullen answered him quietly. Xander swallowed thickly, he was barley seventeen and he might need a walking stick. "It's still early days yet, we'll know more as you heal." Dr. Cullen offered supportively, Xander tried to shrug as the bandage finally came off. "We had to operate to repair your right lung, your rib nicked the surface when it broke but it should heal quickly." He continued as he removed the surgical patch. Xander eyed the dark swollen line that bisected his chest, held together with black surgical stitches. He felt faintly sick at the thought of some one having their hands inside him, near his heart, so close they could hold it in their palm. The Dr carefully eyed the wound as the nurse returned with equipment and supplies.

"Well, it looks like you haven't torn anything, which is good but I'd like to keep a close eye on this for the next week." Dr Cullen offered him a reassuring smile as he moved away to pull on some gloves.

"I have to be here a week?" Xander asked in shock, unable to suppress the shudder that crept up his spine, he highly doubted he could last a week in a hospital.

"At least, you had brain surgery too." Dr Cullen peered at him as he picked up some surgical wipes in his gloved hands, moving over to begin cleaning the wound. Xander let go of the scrub top to run his bandaged hand over his head, his chart had said something about a sub dermal haematoma, was that the brain surgery?

"We had to open your skull to help reduce the swelling." Dr. Cullen told him. "Your very lucky to be here Alexander." The Dr's amber eyes locked on his a moment.

"Xander." he automatically corrected. "Only my mom calls me Alexander." he added softly, feeling his head ache beginning to grow worse, yeah, he really felt lucky at the minute. Not!

"Xander." Dr. Cullen nodded as he worked. "don't worry, we'll have you out of hear in no time." he smiled, for some reason Xander had the distinct impression of looking at a hungry shark with way to many teeth, despite the fact there was no teeth flashed in the smile. He chalked it up to the hyena, all day she had been more active adding more and more inane comments to his internal monologue. It would have scared him last year if she had been as active, but now she didn't feel alien, she didn't feel like she was waiting to take over and push him to the back of his own mind.

He was brought out of his mental musings by a huge yawn. Unable to fight it as the day caught up to him. He was exhausted despite the fact he'd only been awake a few short hours.

Dr. Cullen quickly finished cleaning and wrapping his chest before pushing him gently back into the bed.

"You should get some rest." He ordered softly, taking a syringe off the side table, he injected it into the IV that was protruding from the back of Xander's hand. He nodded, feeling bone tired all of a sudden.

"I'll be back to check on you tomorrow Xander, I'm pretty sure Bella will be popping around to." Charlie offered warmly, Xander nodded yawning again as he rested back against the pillows, loosing the fight to stay awake. He watched with heavy lids as the two men left to let him sleep. He turned, curling up awkwardly on his side as much as his battered body would let him. The door closed behind them with a soft click, he hugged himself softly. He rely didn't want to sleep but he's all ready lost the battle, his eyes sliding shut as he slipped into a pain free blackness, only his soft snores filling the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Bella slipped into his room carrying a large bag, Jacob at her heals. Xander didn't mind, he was grateful for the distraction despite the fact he didn't know his cousin or her boyfriend.

"Hey." Bella set the bag on the end of his bed, looking at him a moment. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Bored." Xander answered truthfully, the nurses and Dr. Cullen kept sticking needles into his IV that made his head fuzzy and everything stop hurting for a while. Bella smiled and began pulling things from the bag.

"Dad asked me to bring you some stuff, just in case." She offered, holding up a book. "I didn't know what you liked so…" She handed the dusty old tome over along with a few of his comics. "I just grabbed these off the top of the box." she offered. Xander eyed the Paladin Codex with a frown, it was one of Giles' research books.

"My stuff is really up here?" Xander frowned harder, tracing the emblem of a sword on the front of the book.

"Dad said this guy and two girls helped him pack, your friends I think." Bella shrugged. "He went down to get you and they were there or something." she offered. Xander blinked, setting the book and comic on his lap.

"Buffy, Willow and Giles." He guessed as Bella moved around to sit in the chair at the side of his bed.

"I don't know, he should be here in a bit if you want to ask him." Bella pulled a chocolate bar out of the bag offering it to him. Xander couldn't help but grin as he took it.

"Thanks, you didn't have to." He peered at her, then up to the silent Jacob lent against the back wall to include him.

"It's ok, way I figure it, your all alone up here. Must be scary." Bella offered, peering at him.

"Kinda." He nodded reluctantly, he paused as he opened his chocolate bar, looking at his cousin. "Is everyone pale around here?" He asked, it had been bugging him since he'd walked into town yesterday, everyone seemed to be pale.

"Some more than others." Jacob nodded, eyeing him. "We don't get a lot of sun around here." he offered. Xander felt relieved. "Why?" he asked

"I'm from Cali, I thought I'd wandered into some sort of Vampire town." He chuckled, keeping his tone light. Bella snorted at him.

"Vampire town? I think those comic books have gone to your head." She smiled a moment, but Jacob… Xander wasn't quite sure about him as the teen just looked at him.

"Definitely not the comic books." Xander shrugged lightly, shrugging off his curiosity at Jacobs reaction. They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence a moment.

"So, California, do you surf?" Jacob asked after a moment, obviously searching for something to talk about.

"Ah, not so much." Xander shook his head, shifting as his right leg began to get numb. "Sunnydale wasn't much of a surfing town, we bowled and we bronzed." He told them, honestly. 'and then we patrol.' he added mentally.

"Bronzed?" Bella shifted in her seat, tilting her head to look at him.

"Yeah, it's the local teen hang out. It's either hang out at the bronze or hang out in some cemetery." He added dryly, not adding that he did a lot of that either.

"Sunnydale's a small town then, Fork's shouldn't be too much of a shock." Bella offered supportively. "Oh, I've got to ask. What's with all the old books?" she peered at him from under a curtain of hair.

"Old books?" He asked, proud that his voice didn't squeak, since when did he have old books?

"Like that one, what is that about anyway?" Bella pointed to the Paladin Codex in his lap.

"Oh, old books." Xander nodded stalling a moment as he thought quickly, the drugs admittedly weren't helping him in that respect. "History club at school, we looked into old legends and folk stories." He lied fingering the book, if he was right the one in his lap was written in Latin. He couldn't help but wonder why he had it, the last he knew the book was in the library because it was one best books for identifying the common garden variety demons.

"Any good ones?" Jacob asked interested, Xander blinked he couldn't out right tell them that half the things in the book they'd actually come across.

"Err." He hummed, the hyena gave the equivalent of an eye roll. "There's one about African shaman who where supposedly able to take animal spirits in to them to make them stronger. Old legends like that." he offered, Jacob blinked eyeing him a moment, a look of surprise on his face.

"We have one similar." Jacob offered after a moment, Xander blinked in surprise was that the reason Spot didn't know what to make of him, was Jacob a Primal? The hyena snarled a little at the nick name, but a superior smugness radiated off her. He got the feeling she considered Jacob weak, so maybe he wasn't a Primal.

"You'll have to tell me about it some time, if it's anything like the African legend it's got to be interesting." He smiled disarmingly, maybe once he heard it he'd be able to tell if Jacob was a Primal.

"Sure." Jacob nodded, smiling a little hopping up to sit on the back cabinet.

"Bit of a history geek?" Bella asked smiling at them both.

"Definitely not, I'm a slacker by nature." Xander shrugged settling back into the pillows.

"Somehow I can't see you as the slacker type." Bella offered standing up "We'll probably be back later, if you want?" She offered peering at him

"Yeah, sure.." Xander nodded at them as both his visitors got ready to leave.

"Sorry, I said we'd help my dad on the res." Jacob admitted quietly.

"No worries dude, you two didn't have to come." Xander smiled thankfully at them.

"Thanks for coming." He added.

"See you later Xander." Bella waved as the two left his room, leaving him alone again. A little lost at what to do with himself now they where gone, Xander eyed the books in his lap he picked up the codex and set it on his bedside table, knowing if he had trouble sleeping it was the cure. He picked up the first comic, eyeing it, it was one he'd read before but it was better than nothing. He settled it to read a classic tale of Superhero vs. Super villain.

Hours ticked by as Xander whittled his way through the small stack of comic books trying to unsuccessfully draw them out but all too soon he'd finished the last comic on the pile. From the side table the Paladin Codex practically screamed at him. He busied him self with the tasteless lunch on orderly left, trying to procrastinate a little. He couldn't help but want to leave the book alone, it was to much like school, and to have hospital and school combined was his worst nightmare.

Eventually though his boredom won out and he was force to pick the book up, the heavy tome practically laughing at him. Of course that could have been the drugs the nurse had given him after lunch. He blinked as a folded sheet of paper slid from between the pages, falling into his lap. He set the book down, eyeing the paper. As far as he knew the codex was just a book, but still, he'd been weary of them ever since one had caught fire when he spoke a word aloud. Gingerly he picked the sheet up, warmth curling in his chest when he noticed Giles's neat cursive.

_Xander_

_My dear boy I pray this letter finds you well. I have hidden it within the Paladin Codex, one of several books I have sent with your belongings._

_The man who has come to take you away is an Officer Charles Swan, and I am confidant this man is not only your uncle but of a good sort. I had Willow check his credential's on her infernal machine and he his who he appears to be. He is taking you to a town called Forks, somewhere in Washington State. _

_Forks is a quiet town, and nothing I have found would suggest any __**extracurricular**__ activities, even so, I have sent you some of the general books just in case. They are more for my piece of mind, but I do hope you find use for them, other than their practical purpose or as door props._

_In the face of recent events I offer you my sincere apologies that I could not be of more help. It is with regret that I admit I have not been a good mentor with you, allowing my duties as a watcher and training Willow's new found talents to blind me from you. Perhaps you will be able to use this chance to your gain, to step away from the expectations placed on you, to start with a fresh start if you will. I believe you could achieve great things Xander. _

_Officer Swan has informed me you are to be residing in Forks with him until your eighteenth birthday, and hopefully your graduation from high school. I hope you find this town, and this new found family to your liking but know that we will miss you, I know Buffy and Willow miss you already. Please do not hesitate to contact me, for any reason._

_Your friend_

_Rupert Giles._

Xander set the letter down wiping his prickling eyes, the letter was pure Giles so much so he could practically hear the English man. It made him feel homesick. Willow was probably worrying her self sick, baking enough cookies to send Buffy into a diabetic coma despite her Slayer metabolism. He'd left them to deal with Spike and Drusilla alone, with the Billy Idol wannabe still baying for the slayers blood, but honestly, what could he do to help at the moment other than slow them down. Despite his homesickness, and his general useless feeling, the letter had warmed his heart.

He felt better than he had done since waking up to a strange nurse, and the fact that Giles cared enough to check up on Charlie was icing on the cake, lifting his spirits. He felt like he could actually stick out his stay at the hospital. He set the letter down carefully, wanting to keep the caring words on the paper safe.

Looking at the codex, he suddenly felt like reading it, the words on the paper spurring him on. Giles believed he could do this, he could graduate and be better than he was. With that in mind he opened the thick tome, settling in to read. If nothing else it would improve his Latin skills. He just hoped the watcher had remembered to pack a few of the translation guides. While he'd picked enough Latin over the last year and a half to read simple sentences, he wasn't exactly fluent.

It was a surprise when as he began to read for the sake of reading, he actually became interested in the contents of the book. Maybe it was because he wasn't searching for anything in particular, but as he read the contents began to get more and more interesting. It began with a theory on how the world began, but it wasn't as dry as school text books, it could be because it was almost like reading science-fiction, but he knew that demons and magic was real. In any case, he found himself sucked into the struggles of early humans against the Old Ones, the original demons. Demons that where nothing like what where on earth today.

Xander could identify with them, even just a little, because he knew how hard fighting vampires was. They didn't have the numbers the humans in the book had to fight on the Hellmouth, there wasn't millions of humans and friendly demons waiting in the wings to take out the latest demon of the week. The book was like the Hellmouth, only on a global scale. At the same time, even though he could identify with them, it was humbling. To know that humans had taken on the old ones, and they did it with only swords, arrows, axes and magic, working together with lower demons and half breeds. Which begged the question, Were all demons evil? Suddenly Xander didn't think so.


	4. Chapter 4

Xander looked up as Dr. Cullen entered his room for his daily check up, after a week he was getting used to the daily routines of the hospital staff and the flow that came with it. Dr. Cullen always came to check him just after lunch, before his rounds started in the afternoon; which was when Jane came in intending to give him his bed bath but she usually followed him as he hobbled about the hospital to clean up and stretch. Jane would put him back to bed and he would go back to reading until Charlie turned up to check on him and make sure he was still in his hospital bed, not attempting another runner.

"How are we today Xander?" Dr. Cullen asked as he moved in, a warm smile on his face as he moved to the chart at the bottom of the bed. Despite the fact Dr. Cullen sometimes set off Spot and his own Hellmouth instincts, Xander couldn't help but warm to the genuinely nice man. Carlisle Cullen was an enigma, but even though Xander was sure there was more to the man than his caring doctor-ness, he knew the man wasn't about to eat him or play hop-scotch with his insides.

"Still going slowly insane, as usual." Xander informed the Doctor charmingly, Dr. Cullen just shook his head in a amusement as he set the chart down and moved around to begin his check up.

"Still reading that book I see?" The blond observed as he perched next to Xander, who dutifully lifted his baggy shirt allowing the doctor access to his bandaged ribs.

"Still, I think I've got about a quarter left to read." Xander nodded as the bandage was unravelled. "Giles would eat his tweed jacket if he knew I'd actually sat and read the thing. I'm blaming the drugs." He grinned at the Dr, who as Xander predicted rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"Jane is impressed that your reading Latin, I must say I am too." The doctor offered as the bandage was finally removed completely.

"I wouldn't say I read it, know enough to get the general meaning." Xander shrugged, ducking his head.

"I'd say you knew more then that, have you thought about taking a few classes to help?" Dr. Cullen asked, checking the stitches in his chest. "These are almost ready to come out Xander, another day or two at the most." He observed.

"Thank god!" Xander sighed in relief "Can you leave the bandage off then, I'll be real careful?" Xander asked hopefully. Dr. Cullen pursed his lips a moment, then nodded.

"We'll leave it off for today, but I'll come back and check on you tonight before I leave, any deterioration whatsoever and the bandage goes back on." Dr. Cullen warned, applying a fresh surgical patch. Xander dropped his shirt with a grin when the blond finished with his chest. Unresisting as the Doctor checked on his head, feeling good about his small victory.

"So, have you thought about taking Latin?" Dr. Cullen asked, checking on the nearly nonexistent wound on his head.

"Me and school don't mix very well, if there where a course in slacking I'd probably flunk that too." Xander shrugged lightly.

"Some how I doubt that Xander, you're a very bright boy." Dr. Cullen praised, Xander shifted uncomfortably, trying not to flinch as the pen light came out. As if sensing Xander's discomfort Dr. Cullen switched topics. "So how do you think you'll do with the chief and Bella?" he asked.

"Their nice people." Xander shrugged lightly, relaxing as the doctor moved to make note on his chart.

"They are, I think you'll enjoy living with them" Dr. Cullen smiled reassuringly.

"I guess." Xander nodded.

"I'll see you tonight Xander." Dr. Cullen promised, setting his chart in it's place.

"O.k." Xander nodded again, watching the doctor leave.

The was plunged into silence as Xander was left alone with nothing but his Paladin Codex as company. Even though the book was interesting, he still wasn't comfortable sitting and reading for hours, he wasn't a sit still type of person, he was naturally hyper. Looking at the big clock on the wall, he made a snap decision.

Awkwardly Xander climbed out of bed, pausing only to write a note for anyone who walked in, so they wouldn't call a manhunt for him. The room was chilly, even though he was dressed inn the warmest clothes Charlie could find. The cold weather of Forks would take some getting used to that was for sure.

He left his room at a slow, leisurely pace. Marvelling at the lack of pain from his injuries. What had been agony enough to make him pass-out, was now pain and dull aches that he could stand.

Xander didn't sneak as he slowly trekked the halls, not hiding or trying to escape. It was nice being able to just move for once, it helped him to think and allowed him to clear his head. Having nothing to do but sit, read and think had put his head into a bit of a spin, leaving him stewing with uncomfortable thoughts.

The book he'd been reading, while usually a good identification manual for the latest demon of the week held more than what they where and how to kill them. Now he was actually taking it all in instead of finding out what they were and how to kill them, he was learning about them.

He wasn't as naive as to think all demons were innately good, but the book had made him think, and he wasn't sure if demons where innately evil either. Reading about how humans and demons had banded together to drive out the old ones was a big point in that, as was what he'd found within the later pages. While some of the demons had been bad, sick and twisted from his point of view really, not all of them had been, some of the species had writing, music and art proving they weren't all just mindless killing machines bent on world destruction or wholesale genocide.

Which was why he found himself placing a collect call to the hellmouth from the pay-phones in the reception. He really hoped Giles wouldn't mind him calling during business hours.

The phone answered on it's fifth ring, the cultured English voice on the other end made homesickness wash through him.

"Hey G-man." he responded to the polite greeting, he couldn't help the grin on his face though. He'd missed the older man.

"Xander, Xander is that you?" The man sounded flustered and shocked.

"Alive and kicking Giles." Xander agreed, leaning against the wall.

"Good Lord! How are you? Are you well?" Giles began, Xander felt warmth flood his chest at the worry in the older man's tone, it felt nice to know that the man cared about him.

"I'm fine G-man, alive and still in one piece." He promised. "What about you? And the girls how are they?" Xander asked.

"I'm fine my boy, glad to know your doing well, as for the girls. I dare say they will be ecstatic to hear your up and well." Giles informed him, Xander could hear the relief in the mans voice. "How long have you been awake my boy?" Giles asked, Xander couldn't help but feel a little guilty, he should have snuck out to call sooner.

"A week, they won't let me out of bed." He told the man honestly.

"Why? Were you hurt that badly? I know they said a coma but the doctors and the hospital staff hear said it wasn't that bad." Giles demanded.

"Pretty much, got a full leg cast on that they won't take off for a few months, and I've got a cool scar on my chest from the op they did." Xander informed the Englishman, keeping his tone light. He didn't want to lie about it to the man, but he also didn't want Giles to worry, especially since he was getting better.

"Dear lord Xander, I had no idea!" Giles sounded not just shocked, but his tone sounded heavy with a mix of guilt and worry too.

"It's cool G-man, I'm getting better." He promised, trying to placate the watcher.

"You could have died!" Giles exclaimed in horror, Xander frowned, three times he'd called Giles G-man but he'd still hadn't got the usual response from the man.

"I'm fine Giles, honestly, and hey, I even got your letter." He told Giles, hoping to shift the conversation and get the watcher to stop worrying.

"You did?" now Giles just sounded surprised.

"I did." Xander agreed, he paused. "Thanks Giles." he gripped the receiver, hoping the watcher under stood.

"Your more than welcome my boy." Giles replied softly, his tone warm and caring,

Xander couldn't help the smile that crossed his face, he knew he was probably grinning like a loon. There was a pause between them but it wasn't uncomfortable.

"If you got my letter then you've got the Codex?" Giles asked, Xander could almost see the small knowing smile on the watchers face.

"I've read a few pages." Xander admitted, shifting guiltily. "It's actually interesting when we're not looking for the…assignment of the week." he added in his defence.

"Your quite right Xander, but there is something you must know." The watcher paused a moment. Xander waited patiently for the man to speak. "The Hellmouth is different from the rest of the world, it draws the most vile and corrupt to its centre." he began. "The beings we have encountered here are not the status quo, if you will." Giles informed him honestly.

"Their not all bad." Xander guessed.

"Exactly." Giles agreed. Xander bit his lip, frowning.

"Giles, how come you never told us that before?" He asked quietly, he hoped the man had a reason, because if he'd helped kill something that wasn't evil…

"Until now you were here with us, on the Hellmouth. Sunnydale attracts the vile and corrupt. Generally the demons here are definitely evil and do need to be kept from the rest of the world, but don't forget, the demons we have slain where brought to our attention because of their nefarious habits." Giles told him honestly, Xander frowned nodding as he listened, turning the information over in his head.

"I think I get that." Xander nodded, and he did.

"I had no doubt that you would Xander, you have a unique way of looking at the world." Giles praised.

Xander shifted a little at what had definitely been praise. "Thanks." he stated quietly, he bit his lip looking around for a clock he was pretty sure if he wasn't back by the time Jane got to his room he'd be in big trouble. "I've gotta get back Giles, before anyone notices I took a walk without permission. I'll call you later." He vowed.

"That's quite alright Xander, my ear is always open, as it where." Giles offered.

"Thanks Giles, that…means a lot. I'll call you later." Xander smiled slightly.

"Goodbye Xander." Giles hung up.

Xander put the receiver back on its cradle, looking around the hall a moment before heading back up to his room.

His talk with Giles had helped lift some of the weight off his shoulders, he wasn't scared that he was the same as the things they had hunted. Giles was right, they had only killed the ones that had drawn attention by killing people. He could sleep with out the nightmare he was turning into a psycho killer.

Xander slipped back into his room and climbed into his bed, relieved he hadn't been missed. He picked his book up, settling in to read until Jane turned up.


	5. Chapter 5

The Swan house looked nice, it wasn't perfect by any means but from the out side it looked like a home. In any respect Xander didn't care, he was so relieved to be out of the hospital his Uncle could have passed a shoe box off as his home and Xander wouldn't have cared in the slightest.

He hopped out of Bella's truck, his crutches in one hand as he peered up at the house he'd be living in.

"Are you gonna be ok with the stairs?" Bella asked worriedly as she climbed out from behind the wheel.

"I should be. Xander agreed using the crutches like he'd promised Dr Cullen, to follow his cousin up the path as Charlie parked his squad car next to Bella's old orange truck. Charlie joined them as he hopped up the stairs, he couldn't really complain about the crutches since they helped a lot, and they where definitely better than being in a wheelchair.

"I hope you don't mind but your room is the old guest room." Charlie told him as they entered the home and Xander got his first look at the interior. It wasn't extravagant or like the perfect homes from the magazines his mom used to get but it was nice. Homey, it felt like a home.

"Don't mind at all." Xander promised, he followed Charlie up the stairs as the man led him to what he guessed would be his room, and Xander was right.

The room was small, definitely what used to be the hardly used guest room, a small double bed sat under the window with a side table by the head, a lamp on top. A small desk was in the corner with three bookshelves above it. The last item in the room was a small chest of draws.

"I know it's not the plaza, but you should have enough room." Charlie offered. "I hope you don't mind but Bella picked the bed sheets out." He pointed to the forest green throw on the bed.

"It's great." Xander looked at Charlie, and it was, his uncle hadn't had to go to the trouble.

"Do you want help unpacking, Bella wanted to help but I didn't think you'd want us going through your things." Charlie offered.

"Nah, I'm good." Xander agreed.

"Well, I'll let you get settled, we're having pasta in a bit." Charlie told him.

Xander nodded watching as Charlie left him alone. He waited a moment before propping his crutches against the wall, he hobbled to the large box and three duffels by his bed.

Looking around the room a moment, he opened the cardboard box, smiling when his comic books and the books Giles had sent him came into view. He'd finished the Paladin Codex while waiting to be released, and it had piqued his curiosity about what else Giles had sent. He carefully unpacked his comics and the stack of old books, hobbling around the room to shelve them on the waiting shelves.

Unpacking was not his favourite way to pass the time, but he was happy with it for the moment. It gave him something to do, let him stretch his limbs more than the small walks he'd gotten away with, let him work out the stiffness a week and a half of a hospital bed had given him.

He stepped back as he finished shelving the books and his comics, proud he'd been able to get them in some sort of order. Abruptly, as he moved back to his box, his mind turned to school, which he'd be going to the next day with Bella. He was under strict order that he wasn't allowed to over do it, but he was allowed to go to school, would in fact be going with Bella the next day.

Usually he wouldn't be bothered, he was a slacker, and Giles' word kept coming back to him. Giles believed in him, he got the impression the older man wanted him to use this as a fresh start, a chance to prove he could be better. Which was where the problem was, Xander wanted to be better. He wanted to prove his parents where wrong, prove he could be better than them.

The sound of tyres on gravel outside pulled Xander from his packing, tossing the jeans he wouldn't be wearing for a while into a draw, he hobbled to the window to see who was pulling up. Eyes halting on Jacob as the teen got out of the truck. Figuring he was here for Bella Xander returned back to his unpacking. He hobbled from his room when Charlie called him, hopping down the stairs.

The first thing he notice was the older man in a wheelchair, he looked a lot like Jacob, but where as Jacob made Spot sit up and take notice, the man in front of him had her hackles raised and her teeth barred.

He couldn't tare his eyes away from the mans as the hyena bashed against his mind. There was something about the man she didn't like.

""Xander this is Billy Black." Charlie introduced. Xander barely managed to keep from reacting as he shook Billy's hand. Whatever Billy was, Xander knew it would be lethal to him if he wasn't careful. Xander knew as well as Spot did, they where interlopers on claimed territory.

"Nice to meet you." Xander smiled at Billy, internally fighting against Spot.

"So, Jake tells me your interested in old legends." Billy offered as they moved into the sitting room.

A little lost at what to do, Xander followed the two older men. "Err, yeah, I was in the mythology club in Sunnydale." Xander nodded, sitting awkwardly.

"Spooky stories?" Charlie asked.

'If only you knew.' Xander thought, thankful for the distance between himself and Billy, it didn't do much but it helped calm Spot down a little, enough that Tackelberry could help calm her down. "Sometimes." He nodded, shifting on the end of the couch, his immobile leg stuck out in front of him.

"We have enough of those around here to keep you happy, I'll bet." Billy smiled at him, eyes dark. Xander had to wonder if Billy could feel Spot, and if Forks was the reason both she and Tackelberry had become more than the occasional nightmare, random thought and rare sensory spike "You like baseball?" He asked nodding to the big flat screen in the corner.

"Never watched it." Xander admitted, eying the TV.

"Well, Dinners almost ready, it's game night so we usually sit in here." Charlie offered, before moving into the kitchen.

"That ok." Xander shrugged, he was new to all this and it wasn't like he could go anywhere with the cast on. He saw Jacob move and sit near his father. He couldn't help but wonder why Jacob didn't feel like Billy, was it because Jacob was younger? Was Billy stronger? And what where they?

Giles had looked up the town and come up with nothing, but something wasn't settling right. If Giles hadn't found anything, it could mean what ever the Black's were, they weren't kill happy. Still Xander had to wonder what they were and why Spot was reacting like she was. Even with his soldier calming her down and restraining her, she still had her hackles up torn between fighting and fleeing. It was hard fighting the temptation to do either, he wasn't in any condition for a fight, and he doubted he could get far if he ran. Which left him sat here.

"Do you hunt Xander?" Billy asked as he waited for the game to come on.

"Hunt?" Xander swallowed, looking at Billy.

"Deer, birds, you know, hunt?" Billy asked him.

"Never tried." Xander relaxed shaking his head.

"Never?" Jacob frowned.

Xander shook his head, he wasn't going to add that he'd never hunted game but had hunted Demons. Somehow he didn't think that would go over too well.

"You should come with us sometime." Jacob offered.

"Maybe when I get my cast off." Xander agreed, looking at them trying to think of a safe topic. They hunted, they had to use weapons right? "What weapons do you use?" He asked, looking between Billy and Jacob.

"Rifles mostly." Jacob shrugged. "Why, do you think we still use bows and arrows or something?" He asked in amusement.

"No, but even if you did, a carbon fibre longbow is just as good as a rifle if you use it properly." Xander offered, they all blinked at him.

"Bit too clunky now-a-days, carrying a longbow around." Billy chuckled.

"Well, sometimes." Xander nodded. "But I know you can get fold up ones that open fully strung. Their like the Astin Martin for the archery set." He offered.

"You ever use a bow, takes some serious muscles." Jacob chuckled.

"They definitely do." Xander agreed, he wondered if he could still use the bow that Giles had sent with him, the same sort of bow he'd been talking about. He knew Giles had sent it to him because neither Giles nor Buffy liked it, they preferred Crossbows and since willow didn't have the arms to use it Xander had it. It had taken him months to learn how to use it properly, and since the soldier was sniper trained he'd spent a few nights perched somewhere high in Sunnydale's small forest practicing.

"You've used a bow?" Charlie asked as he moved back in, wiping his hands on a dish towel. Xander nodded, thinking a moment.

"I actually have one." He admitted.

"You have one?" Billy asked surprised.

"Yeah, my friend got it, but she doesn't like bows much, so she gave it me. I've never used it off a target board." He shrugged, which was technically true. He hadn't had the chance to use it on patrol yet.

"You mind if I take a look at it?" Charlie eyed him. Xander shook his head and got to his feet.

He hopped up the stairs to get the bow, it was still in it's case, which was separate to the small weapons trunk Giles had sent. The small trunk which contained the weapons he'd basically claimed since he liked them and no one else ever used them. He was surprised Giles had sent them, but happy to. He grabbed the oak case that contained the bow off the top of the bed, his weapon trunk was safely under his bed and out of sight, tucked under empty duffels. It didn't take him long to hop down the stairs.

He handed the case to Charlie as soon as he entered, he had a reason for admitting to owning a bow after all.

"Is it illegal up here?" He asked looking at his uncle who opened the case. Charlie let out a soft whistle.

"It's still a weapon, but if I get you a licence you should be able to practice with it, and take it hunting." Charlie offered lifting the collapsed bow from the case. Xander nodded. "Can you actually use this?" He asked.

"Yeah, not such a bad shot either. Can I?" Xander motioned to the bow, Charlie handed it over.

Xander easily opened the bow, the locks clicking into place to hold it open, the gears and mechanism holding the heavy duty line taught. He gripped the longbow and held it up, pulling back the line to test the tension. His nose wrinkled a little and he quickly tightened it up before testing it again, wordlessly handing it back to Charlie. Charlie tested the bow, fighting against the tension as he tried to pull the string back. He let go with wide eyes.

"You can use this?" He asked in shock, Xander nodded picking up an arrow to fiddle with.

"It's a hobby." He admitted, twirling the arrow between his finger tips.

"You said your friend got it but she doesn't like it?" Bella asked with a frown, looking over Charlie's arm at the bow.

"Yeah, Buffy liked the short swords better." Xander shrugged. " She's a valley girl at heart, loves shiny things, that and she's short so she hates long swords, their too long for her arms." He informed them as Charlie let Billy examine the longbow.

"How come your friend get's given weapons?" Charlie asked, Xander shifted, putting the arrow back. He couldn't tell them she had weapons because she was destined to fight the evil that stalked the night. Luckily he had an answer for it, one they'd had ready to use just in case someone happened to notice Buffy and Giles training in the Library.

"Buffy took a lot of martial arts to help her cheerleading when she was younger, and when she stopped cheering, she kept up with it, and since Giles used to fence in collage he helps her with her forms. It's her hobby, she'd win trophies and stuff if she wanted to compete." He explained. Charlie nodded accepting that, Xander could tell he was relieved to have a decent explanation.

"That's a nice piece." Billy handed the bow back to Charlie, who took one look at it and handed it back to Xander.

Xander smiled a little as he released the catch, keeping his fingers out of the way as the bow closed up. He set the bow back into it's case before closing the case up.

"So, do you think I'll be able to keep up with it?" He asked hopefully, flicking the locks on the case closed.

"As long as your safe and don't carry it to school. I'm sure we can find you a spot in the woods for target practice." Charlie agreed moving back into the kitchen. "Aren't there a few kids on the res who know archery?" He called through.

"I'm sure we can arrange something, I'll bet a few of the boys would love a bit of healthy competition." Billy agreed. "I'll see what I can do." Billy offered.

Xander nodded, to be honest he wasn't really bothered about competing, the whole idea of telling Charlie was so he could keep up with the bow, just in case he ever needed it for something. Plus he could have sworn Billy knew something was off about him, just as Xander knew there was something different about Billy. So was the offer of friendly competition a way for the older man to find out if he was a threat or not? Xander sincerely hoped Charlie's friend decided he wasn't a threat. And soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Snow. On Xander's first day of school, he woke up to snow in early November, a fresh powder at least a foot deep. Given that he was from sunny California, he felt justified in his misgivings about walking on the stuff. While it was very pretty, Xander had never seen snow other than on the TV, also adding that he was from a very sunny, very warm climate and snow was frozen. He didn't feel like he was over reacting to want to spend the morning under his warm blanket tucked safely in his bed.

Alas it was not to be and Xander found himself tentively hobbling down the stairs with his crutches, bundled into enough layers he could have passed for a hallucinogenic stay-puff marshmallow man. Bella was watching him from inside the cab, giggling softly at him.

He shook his head as he slowly made his was to the truck, making sure his crutches wouldn't slip on the cold wet path. He didn't care that he probably looked silly being so bundled up, all he cared about was being warm, which he wasn't at the moment. Shooting a glare at Bella as he made it to the truck, he climbed in, settling his crutches next to him as he pulled the door shut, huddling into the huge jacket Charlie had lent him until he could get his own cold weather gear.

"Sorry, but c'mon, your wrapped in enough clothes to dress a football teem." Bella chuckled as she reversed out of the drive.

"And I'm still freezing my nut's off." Xander muttered, rubbing his hands together trying to warm them. Bella giggled again.

"You'll get used to it." She promised.

"I don't know if I want to get used to it. It's fuckin' cold." He grumbled, glaring out of the window at the passing scenery. Both Spot and Tackelberry were in agreement with him, Spot was used to the Serengeti, long open planes of boiling hot temperatures and it seemed Tackelberry hated the cold just as much as they did.

Thankfully she dropped the topic, instead putting both the radio and the heater on. Pop wasn't his favourite type of music but he would live, at least as long as the heater worked.

It didn't take long before they where pulling into the schools car park, and stopping next to a black van that seemed vaguely familiar to Xander. He wondered where he'd seen it before as he gathered up his crutches and prepared to face the freezing world outside.

Xander hobbled around the back of the truck, pausing to grab his bag off Bella. While he was stuck wrestling the bag on, Bella introduced him to the teens around the van.

"So, you're the guy who put Mike flat on his back!" Eric grinned as he offered Xander his hand. Xander awkwardly shook it.

"I did?" Xander asked.

"I'm Mike, and yeah, you did." The blond-ish boy nodded, and he didn't look to happy about it, but now that they mentioned it, Xander realised that was why the van was so familiar. It had been parked near to where the pale guy with the dark-eyes had almost run him over.

"Ah, I'm sorry about that, it wasn't personal or anything." He looked at the teen, giving them his patented lop-sided grin, hoping he came across as harmless.

"It was a good move man." Mike reluctantly nodded.

"Thanks." Xander shifted looking around the group, he peered at Bella. "Didn't Charlie say I have to go to the office?" he asked her with a frown.

"Yeah, you need me to take you there?" Bella asked, looking at him.

"Nah, I'm good cuz, see ya later." He grinned at her, giving them all a little wave before setting off.

Xander peaked out from between the truck and van before setting off towards the school, slowed by both his crutches an the deep alien powder coating the floor. He'd just hit the half way mark as a silver car came careening into the car-park. Xander froze as the car leapt at him, even as the high-pitched squeal of tyres met his ears.

The car slid a little on the wet road even as it slowed to a heart wrenching stop before him. Xander swallowed thickly, looking down at the all to familiar sight of his knees touching the cars bumper. In the space of five seconds he'd almost ended up back in the hospital. His attention was drawn by the driver climbing out of his car, it was a weird replay of the first time the guy had almost hit him, only this time Xander wasn't in agony and doped up on pain killers.

"I thought I told you to watch where your going!" The driver practically snarled, Xander looked at him in shock, again the driver was blaming him for something he hadn't done.

"And I thought I told you to watch where your driving." He glared at the driver, the glare slipped from his as he actually saw the guy. He was still pale, vampiricly pale but at the same time it suited him. The dark hair looked almost bronze in the pale over cast light of day, his strong jaw and dark eyes just added to the pretty package. The driver was taller than him, but a smaller built, more compact. Very simply put, who-ever he was, he was abso-fucki-lutely gorgeous. Not quite able to get his anger back at the tall handsome guy, he settled for his tried and true self.

"I gotta ask, do you try to mow down every new guy, or is it just me?" He asked cheekily, grinning at the guy.

The anger on the drivers face slipped away, replaced by shock as he jaw dropped slightly. Xander couldn't help but snicker softly at the dumb-struck look, he shook his head as the driver took a step back and climbed back into the sleek silver car. He watched as the car reversed back a little before driving around him and further into the car park, amused Xander hobbled towards the school his spirits surprisingly lifted his dislike of the snow melted away.

As Xander hobbled up the stairs, his eye's where drawn to the silver car and the driver who was talking quietly to a group of four teens, two boys, one heavily built and muscular but not in a flabby way with dark hair. The other was shorter, slimmer more compact, angular face with a stern look on his face dark blond curls falling into his eyes. The two girls where stunning, a short girl with dark hair was glued to the blond males, she reminded him of the pictures of Pixies in Giles' books, beautiful demure creatures with soft natures and an air of mischief. All she was missing was beautiful pearlescent near translucent wings that left trails of sparkles in the air. In contrast to the little pixie, the blond girl was stunning, as any teenager with an ounce of pop culture would say, the blond was a total knock-out babe.

Xander couldn't help but notice their marble like skin, all of them in the group. Marble like skin wasn't the only thing he noticed, what he couldn't help but see was how they moved. It was achingly familiar, loose yet grace full movements that oozed violence and strength. They were screaming PREDITOR for anyone who looked, a big neon sign Xander hadn't seen in anything other than his pack.

While he was thankful Buffy and the Scoobies had stopped Spot and the other hyena spirits form hurting anyone, he couldn't help but remember what it had felt like to be a part of a pack. His Pack, and sure he wasn't in control at the time, but what Spot had felt, he'd felt. That was the feeling he missed so much he ached with it, the feeling of belonging, of hunting with family you knew would be at your back and at your side.

Buffy and Willow where great friends, and Giles was more than just a friend, Giles was a pseudo father figure. Yet even though they where his family, they weren't pack, his girls where still girls, they where sometimes flaky. They didn't operate like a pack, they operated like friends who patrolled together, and sometimes it wasn't enough.

As if to agree with him, Spot was doing her version of a purr in his head, in fact the low comforting growl that echoed in his head had started the moment he'd set eyes on the driver. She was pleased, and Xander got the impression it wasn't just the mystery man she was pleased at, he got the feeling she was pleased at him with his observations and at his need for a pack of his own.

He shook of the thoughts as the mystery-stud turned to him -and he would be having a long talk with his libido about appropriate people to be attracted to the guy's amber eyes locking on his. With the stud, the others turned to watch, and not one set but five set's of amber eyes were looking at him. Yet unlike the Black's, these amber eyes didn't make him feel threatened. Oh he got the feeling they could kill him in a heartbeat, but while there was something other about them, it was something he and his personal peanut gallery liked.

Their eyes broke contact as Xander hit the top of the stairs, shaking it off he headed towards the schools doors. A mystery was a foot, because he knew they were different, just like the Black's where. So what was the difference between them? Xander knew research would be needed, unfortunately research would have to wait, he had to sort his classes out.

After talking with Dr. Cullen in the hospital, and Giles on the phone Xander had decided to take classes he was actually interested. Willow and Buffy weren't here so he couldn't take notes off them, and again, Willow wasn't here to push him into hard classes needed for collage that he'd barely understand. Which meant he had to pick his own classes.

Class schedule clutched in one hand, and a time sheet in the other, Xander hobbled out of the admin office, and towards his first class of the day. Not an advanced math or science in sight. Wood shop, mechanics, chemistry and creative writing where his top electives, and since they didn't have a Latin class, Xander was taking Russian and Spanish. Some of the classes he actually had a chance of learning if Tackelberry kept up his end of the deal and tutored him, the others he was sure he'd be able to learn himself.

Xander was pleased with his electives as he looked for his locker to dump his coat, now he was inside he was warming up. He dumped his coat and sweater before heading for his first class.

Xander looked at the teacher as he read the sheet the lady in the office had given him, only taking his eyes off the teacher to sweep them through the room, passing over faces he didn't know until a pair of amber eyes. Tall, pretty and blond. She was sat alone at the small bench, looking board as she waited with the rest of the class.

"Right, Alexander…" The teacher began, looking at him, Xander shifted his attention back to the teacher.

"Xander, only my mom and the IRS call me Alexander." He automatically corrected the teacher.

"Alright Xander, I'm Mr. Blake. You can sit with Rosalie." he pointed to the blond girl.

'Perfect.' Xander thought as he hobbled towards the bench she was at, at least he had one name. He wasn't quite sure why sitting with her was 'Perfect', sure she was attractive, then again if he fished subtly enough, he might pick up a few clues as to what she and the others were.

He dropped on to the stool, stuffing his bag out of the way and propping this crutches next to him. Turning his attention to the teacher, he listened intently to what they would be doing, saving the fishing for answers until later. He remained still as the teacher handed out trays filled with dismantled engine parts, with the orders that they had to reassemble them correctly and then be able to answer what their assembled parts where by the end of the class.

Xander got to work, thinking on how to start a conversation with this Rosalie as he listened to Tackelberry's instructions on just what he was trying to put back together. Not quite comfortable with the silence but almost certain inane babble wouldn't appeal to any one, Xander began to hum Ride of the Valkyries under his breath.

"You know the Nazis used that tune during air strikes from the Luftwaffe in propaganda films, don't you?" Rosalie asked him dryly. 'Ah ha!' Xander mentally crowed.

"Was actually thinking about Apocalypse Now, to be honest." He told her honestly, that and Tackelberry had been talking about the movie last night as he was trying to sleep, probably as some sort of retribution from his nick-name, he'd have to watch the Police Academy film's again the next time Tackelberry wouldn't shut up.

"War film, figures." Rosalie's tone reminded him of Cordelia, he looked at her a moment. Yep, he could definitely see Rosalie as Forks' answer to Queen C.

"You're the school bitch aren't you?" He eyed her, not bothered when her head snapped around and she glared at him. After years of mass snark fests with Cordelia that type of glare just rolled straight off his back. "It's not a bad thing, being a bitch." he added.

"You don't know a thing about me!" She sneered disdainfully at him.

"O.k. then tell me something." he offered, looking at the slowly forming lump of metal.

"Your not in my league, little boy." She chuckled in amusement, eyeing him darkly. Xander couldn't help but snort, yep, definitely a case of she was drop dead gorgeous and knew it.

"Hate to tell you Rosie, but your not my type." Xander smiled at her sweetly. Her eye's flashed dangerously.

"So your gay then." She kissed her teeth. "Oh, and my name is not Rosie." her lip curled in a silent snarl.

Xander blinked at her casual observation, he might be gay he wasn't positive yet, but really, after the preying mantis, Ampata, and Willow after him he was definitely leaning more towards gay than straight. He felt bad putting Willow as a reason he was attracted to guys, but she was, the thought of Willow and…Kissage in the same sentence made him want to hurl. She was his Will's, his sister in all but blood. He'd kiss Cordelia before kissing Willow and THAT was saying something, as much as Cordy was pretty, she really wasn't his type. Other than being a girl, her personality would have driven him up the wall. Any way, he could hold his own against Queen C, and he would hold his own against Queen R too.

"Hate to burst your bubble ROSIE, but just cause your not my type, doesn't automatically mean I'm gay." He told her looking at the metal in his hands critically, shaking his head as he continued to put it back together.

"You don't want to get on my bad side!" Rosalie warned, her eyes glittering dangerously.

"So this is your good side, really? I'm genuinely impressed." he rolled his eyes.

"I'm not joking." Rosalie warned, he could see her begin to get frustrated.

"Didn't think you were." Xander shrugged, putting carburettor down and getting to work on the left over bits. He could hear her grind her teeth in frustration.

"I don't like you." she told him.

"That's ok." He shrugged. "I don't care if you like me." he told her.

"Why?" She eyed him, setting her own completed part on to the bench.

"Because if you like me, then you like me we'd probably end up as friends with bitching privileges. If you don't like me, same difference, you'll bitch, I'll snark, except we won't be friends." He told her. "High school is the same no matter where you are, you have your Queen, who's pretty, bitchy, and popular even if it's only because everyone knows who she is. You have your cliques and your groups and your social mingling. Guy's like me Snark with Queen's like you, Queen's like you only notice guy's like me to bitch about me." He explained. "I think I've talked myself in to a circle here, but I think you get what I mean." He offered.

"You think I'm a Queen?" Rosalie asked. Xander looked at her.

"Pretty, check, does everyone know who you are?" He asked, she smirked and nodded. "Check. Bitch, check. Fashionable, check. Yep." He grinned at her. "I now pronounce you Queen R, Bitch of Forks." He told her regally. Rosalie blinked a moment before a slow smile crept across her face.

"Your really strange, you know that right?" She asked him, tone amused.

"More than you know." Xander chuckled.

"I didn't catch your name." She held her hand out.

"Xander Harris." he shook her head.

"Well, Alex, I'm Rosalie Hale." She offered, Xander scowled as he shook her hand. Marvelling at her cold hand. He flicked his eyes to the window as he righted himself in his chair, relieved to see the light of day, still over cast and cloudy, but it was light out.

"Xander, not Alex, Lex or Alexander." He corrected.

"Suit yourself Al." She shrugged going back to her part.

"What ever Rosie." Xander rolled his eyes. Rosalie just chuckled as they lapsed into silence.

Xander relaxed as he finished the last part, he might not have got any answers, but he may just have found a friend.


	7. Chapter 7

It was a well known fact that a Xander was ruled by his stomach. To come between a Xander and his food was among the worst crimes possible, right along side Murder and world domination. At least that was how Xander saw things, which meant his cast needed to die, and to use a Giles-y term, Very bloody quickly.

He pouted a little and rested his chin on his fist as he waited for Bella to bring his food. It wasn't that he wasn't grateful to his cousin for helping, it was because he was hungry. The hair on the back of his neck prickled and he looked up, eyes scanning the cafeteria until he located the feeling. He noticed the mysterious stud first as he followed along behind Rosalie and the other three.

"Spotted the Cullen's have you?" Jessica asked quietly. Xander blinked, that explained why they'd looked familiar, the eyes and skin tone.

"Cullen's?" Xander frowned as Bella finally got back with his food, he thanked his cousin as she set his tray down in front of him.

"Dr and Mrs Cullen's adopted kids." Jessica lent over the table a little, her voice quieter. "See the blond two, That's Rosalie and Jasper Hale, The big guy, that's Emmet, And the little dark haired girl is Alice. It's really weird, their all like together. Except for the other one, he's Edward, he isn't interested in anybody." Jessica gossiped.

"Together as in a foursome?" Xander eyed her, making a note of the tone she used. It sounded like she was jealous of one or more of them.

"No! but Rosalie's with Emmet, and Jasper is with Alice." She told him before sitting back.

"They probable got together before they where adopted, no big." Xander shrugged as the Cullen's got closer to their table, they where practically stalking through the cafeteria, blatantly obvious that they weren't your normal human. He couldn't help but run his eyes over Edward, at least he had a name for studly-come-jump-me. Xander wanted to bang his head off the table, apparently his libido haven't understood the topic of acceptable criteria to like and had upgraded Edward from tasty to fuck-able. Spot wasn't helping matters any, honestly his own body was attempting mutiny. Either that or his body had the right idea and his brain was slow on the uptake. Being that he'd never been one to follow normal rules, especially high school social rules, he brought his index finger thumb to his mouth and gave a piercing wolf whistle as Rosalie passed his table. He made a note of the wince all five of them gave, mentally rubbing hands together. 'my dear Watson, I do believe there is a mystery a foot' He mentally cackled as the Cullen's turned.

"Rosie I'm hurt, did you forget me already?" He gave Rosalie his best puppy eyes, batting his eyes at her cheekily.

"You don't quit do you?" Rosalie drawled, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Xander put one hand over his heart and lifted his other solemnly.

"I can honestly say I've never quit anything in my life" he promised, he dropped his hands folding them on top of the table " been kicked out of and runaway from however is a completely different matter all together." He grinned at her. She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile.

"I thought I told you not to call me Rosie, Al." She eyed him.

"Err, didn't I tell you?" He asked worriedly, she wasn't the only one who frowned at him. "I don't take order's very well." He told her solemnly. Rosalie rolled her eyes again, her smile getting a little bigger.

"Who's your friend Rosalie?" The little pixie asked, leaning into Jaspers side. She had a smile on her face, a warm one as she looked at him.

"Harris." He got to his good leg and held his hand out. "Xander Harris." He gave his imitation of James Bond. She took his hand with a smile, her hand as cold as Rosalie's had been, on a whim, he lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles suavely. "And you are?" He asked charmingly as she giggled softly stepping back to Jaspers side, the blond mans arm going around her waist.

"Alice." Alice answered, peeking at him under his lashes. "Your charming." She told him with a smile.

"Not usually, but for pretty girls I always make an exception." He grinned at her. "Of course if I didn't my tiny blond friend would kick my ass." He added. Everyone seemed to look at Rosalie, wondering if it was her he was talking about, and if it was how she would handle it.

"I hope your not calling me short Al." Rosalie eyed him.

"Me call you short?" Xander blinked at her. "Nope, your tall and very nicely put together, but you would probably rip me in two and feed me to stray dogs, while Buffy would just kick my ass, she's a bit squeamish." Xander informed her. The Cullen's all blinked at him, half of them looked about to talk.

"This is your friend with the sword because she doesn't like bow's right?" Bella asked with a frown.

"That's the one." Xander nodded, he turned back to the Cullen's and paused at the shrill ringing, almost jumping as his ass began to vibrate. It took him a moment to remember Charlie had gotten him a phone for emergencies. So far only Charlie, Bella and the Scooby's had his number.

He frowned, pulling it out, checking the caller I.D, he recognised Willows number immediately and put it to his ear as he answered. Why would Willow call in the middle of school, she wouldn't usually. Unless it was bad.

"Wills?" He asked with a frown. A loud string of babble hit him in a heart beat, worse than Willow on espresso's after an all night research party and hyped up an too much sugar, the sinking feeling got worse.

"Will's sweetie, Breath ok, even I can't keep up with Willow-hyper-babble." He ordered, leaning to pick up his back pack. Another stream of babble hit him, only this time he could decipher it. Several words jumped out at him. "The what-what of the who? And who is Kendra?" He demanded grabbing his crutches. Xander felt the colour drain from his face as Willow explained.

"Are you ok?" Bella frowned looking at him. Xander frowned.

"One second Will's." He spoke into the phone, before lowering it, looking at his cousin. "I've gotta bounce, I'll see ya later ok." He promised, eyes sweeping the table and the watching Cullen's. with out another look he hobbled from the room as fast as he could, carrying his crutches as he put the phone back to his ear. "Go on Will." He offered as he left the cafeteria.

Xander dropped his bag as he entered the Swan residence, crutches falling to the floor he hopped to the stairs. He knew he had read something on this order before, he moved up the stairs as fast as he could. What he wanted to know was why Spike and Dru would send assassins after him if he was off the hellmouth now. Hopping to his room, he moved straight to his book shelf, locating the Paladin codex and yanking it off the shelf. He dropped onto his bed as he flicked open the book. Looking for the section on notable Order's and Covens. He found the section easy enough, searching through until he found the bit he wanted

_The Order of Terakka is a guild of assassins with over two thousand years of history. It is the only guild of it's kind in the known dimensions, in that the guild has beings from all walks of life, from humans to Gnarled gnomes. While the Order is steeped in secrecy, one crucial thing about them is that they never tire. Once a bounty is taken, the Order will not stop until it is completed. _

_The only known way to identify a member of the order is their ring with the Terakkan seal, which all members must wear. The seal is their only common mark of identification. Even though all order members wear the seal, it is still almost impossible to identify a Terakkan assassin._

_Only one being is known to have survived the Terakkan's, a Pulluchi demon in the early thirteen hundreds, when the bounty was withdrawn. Since Terakkan's are quick to fulfil a bounty, no one else has lived long enough for a bounty to be withdrawn. _

_The most notable kill's attached to the Order of Terakka cross the known dimensions. For Example President's Lincoln and Kennedy where both shot by a member of the Order of Terakka…_

Xander swallowed heavily as he slammed the book shut, eye's flicking around the room. He set the book down and lent over the side of his bed, his fingers fumbled for the trunk he knew was there, scratching at air until they hit the cool lacquered wood. He snatched the trunk out, heaving it up onto the bed next to him.

He fumbled with the latch before throwing the top back, looking at the contents inside. Taking another look around the room he got to his feet, reaching into the dark wooden box to pluck out his second favourite weapon after the longbow.

He gripped the hard handle of the large battle axe, lifting it out easily. He ran his eyes over the deadly, live edge of the blade, testing it with the pad of his thumb. Nodding, he grabbed the leather sheath, setting the Battle axe on the bedspread to wrestle the shoulder rig on.

He adjusted the buckles on it before picking up his axe, settling the heavy weight into it's home. With an assassin on his as, he wasn't going to take any chances, especially since Terakkan's came in all shapes and sizes. There was no room for error if he wanted to live long enough for Giles to work his magic. And the idea of waiting on Angel to call off the bounty as head of his line didn't quite sit right with Xander. With that in mine he began pulling blades from the trunk, a wooden one, one made of blessed silver, and the final general purpose blade, a steel blade with veins of iron, bronze, and gold. It made a flimsy blade usually, but it was good to have just in case. If wood or blessed silver didn't take care of it, one of the four elements in the blade would. The knives he strapped in easy to reach places, but places he could hide them.

The last thing to get unpacked was his Long bow, still folded it went into a small shoulder case with a quiver fill of carbon shaft arrows with an assortment of tips and the all important survival. If anything, the patrolling on the hellmouth had taught the Scooby gang the importance of being prepared. It was funny how something as a pen knife of a bottle of water could help in the surreal situations they had found themselves in.

Xander was no pro by any count, he was lucky to survive as long as he had with no formal training and only minimal on the job training, but even so, he'd learnt tricks that would help keep him alive a little longer, and he'd learned them hard.

He didn't have a plan as he left his room, but he knew that if the assassins where in Sunnydale, they would be in Forks too. He picked up his school bag and crutches from where he'd dropped them, moving to stuff them inside the hall closet. With one last check of the home, he locked up and left heading for the dense woods that surrounded Forks.

There was still no plan hours later as Xander hiked up the steep incline. Pausing every so often to rest against a tree. Giles had promised him it wouldn't take Angel more than a few day's to recall the bounty, he hoped so. He felt bad about just up and leaving like he had. After calling Giles while he cleaned up the weapons trunk, he'd left. He hadn't written a note or anything, hoping that if any thing went to the house, they'd get the idea he'd heard and spooked. He was hoping that they'd leave Charlie and Bella alone, since he'd left no indication he was going to be back he was hoping the assassin would follow him rather that wait.

Hoping was never a plan to put faith on when dealing with situations of a hellmouth nature, but it was all he had at the moment, that and the general idea to wait it out and not get found.

Finding a small clearing, Xander decided to stop for a while. His leg was beginning to hurt again, more than the dull ache it had reduced to over the last week or so, and since he'd skipped lunch he was ravenous. After walking for several hours, he figured he could take a small brake to eat something and the clearing was as good a rest stop as he was going to get.

Sliding off his shoulder bag, he sat on stump of an old tree, coated in a thick padding of deep green moss. He dug through the bag for the space bars Willow had ordered when they'd but the survival kits together. They weren't much, and they tasted like cardboard, but they'd slake his hunger for a while. Taking a bite, Xander vowed he'd treat himself to a burger of something when the assassins where delt with.

A sudden something dropping onto his head made him flinch, jerking and bring a hand up to run a hand through his hair. The large black beetle that feel to the floor made him shudder.

"EWW!" he shuddered violently, before smashing the heal of his boot into the creature, shuddering again as the crunch reached his ears. "Gross." He muttered, taking a vicious bite from his space bar. He couldn't help it, the thought of bugs crawling on him made his skin crawl. He hated the idea of bugs crawling on his skin as bad as Spot hated the memory of flies and mosquitoes buzzing around her muzzle, and Tackelberry loathed having sand in his fatigues.

Paranoid about bugs, his eyes began sweeping the area around him, carefully watching for any that where attempting to sneak up and crawl on him. His hand rummaged in the bag for his bottle of water, pulling out a bottle, he paused to check it wasn't his supply of holy water before taking a long drink. Banishing the dry mouth the space bar had given him.

He lowered his sports bottle, eyes sweeping the clearing again. His heart lurched as they halted on dark brow. Swallowing thickly, his eyes took in the abnormally large canine stood watching him, silently. Xander could only prey this was a normal wolf. He knew there where several species of beings able to assume animal form, and since he was being hunted by assassins, he could only prey this wasn't a Terakkan sent to kill him.

He soft snap of a twig made him flinch, his eyes scanned the clearing again before dropping back to the wolf. Frowning when he noticed he no longer had its attention. The hair on the back of his neck began to lift as the wolf's low dangerous growl hit his ears. So when Tackelberry told him to hit the deck, Xander didn't ask why, he launched himself off the tree stump, spinning on his casted foot while grabbing for his axe.

Some sort of black ooze hit the stump a second after he'd left, splashing heavily. His eye's where drawn up the only place he hadn't looked. He didn't take his eyes off IT as the wolf let out a long baying howl. A summons Spot dimly told him, all their attention on the THING hanging from the canopy.

It was at least seven feet in length, a dozen or so long spindly legs that where holding it up as it held its self wedged between two tree trunks, a huge circular head with way to many eyes and thick mandibles protruding from a mouth filled with way to many Very large, Very sharp needle like teeth.

It's head bobbed as it began to click at him, and Xander could smell what ever the thing had oozed at him, a thick and acrid stench, the fizzing, bubbling noise a dim notation in the back of his mind. His battle axe felt woefully inadequate against the sheer size of the thing.

Slowly, the thing began to lower it's self, crawling down between the two trees, something shiny and silver glinting in the diminishing light as it moved. A ring Xander dimly realised, his heart pounding so hard in his chest he was certain it was trying to hammer it's way out and escape.

'Yep, body's practicing mutiny' he thought hysterically. 'why do I get the giant fuckin' bug and Buffy gets a psycho biker?' that was the one thing he really wanted to know.

The bug suddenly reared it's head back, it's neck elongating before snapping forwards like a viper, Xander reacted, launching himself to the side, hitting the ground hard with his right shoulder, more acrid black ooze spewing into the space he'd just been occupying. The acrid mass of nasty hit a tree, beginning to hiss and fizzle.

Taking his eyes of the thing only a split second as he got to his feet, he saw the stump he'd originally been sat on was now nothing more than a bubbling mass eating it's was into the earth.

"Oh fuck me!" he whispered harshly. He was gonna die by acid puke, he just knew it.


	8. Chapter 8

Being born and raised on the hellmouth, and later taking up arms against the creatures and beings that plagued the gateway to hell, Xander had always known he was going to have a short life span. He knew he wouldn't have the luxury of dieing peacefully in his bed when he was old with great grand-children. He'd known he'd probably end his short life as a meal or some un-noted kill. But he'd never imagined he'd meet his end by puke. It just seemed wrong to Xander. Who wanted to die by puke? He certainly didn't that was for sure. But unfortunately it seemed fate was against him, because the creature was looming for another regurgitated strike.

He had nowhere to go, backed against a large rock with the huge hairy form blocking off all escape. Yep, fate was indeed a fickle bitch, and she hated him with a vengeance. He was going to die, by puke. Some how it felt…perverse. His eyes where on the thing as it's head pulled back on its elasticised neck, in a second he'd be melting painfully, still he couldn't tare his eyes from it. It was close enough he could hear the bodily fluids slosh around in it's insides. Rising, ready to end his woefully short hard life. It's head began to snap for ward. Almost in slow motion as it's rancid mouth opened wide, needle like teeth coated in the black crud that was going to end him. His heart skipped as he said good bye to his friends and apologised to his uncle and cousin. Felt regret he was still not quite comfortable with the prospect he might be gay, or at the very least Bi.

Xander blinked in shock, frowning as the creature was ripped to the side. His brain stalled. He was supposed to be dead now right?

A black blur slammed into the creature with a snarl. Then another, and another. Wolves. A pack of wolves where launching themselves at the bug thing, snarling and biting. Holy hell he had a chance after all!

His brain came online all at once and he wasn't wasting the chance. He scrambled for his satchel, the handle of his axe still where he'd dropped it as the blade melted. He'd morn his beloved battle axe later.

He ripped his bow from the bag it had lain in, snapping it open as the wolves and creature rolled around the floor. Wolves being thrown off to hit trees hard enough the trees shook, but the wolves just got back up and rejoined the fray. Stumbling back a little as he wrestled out his quiver of arrows, he held the open tube between his knees as he lifted the bow, drawing an arrow.

His racing heart slowed as he knocked an arrow, not caring to check the tip, his left eye squeezed shut as he took a bead on the creature, pulling the arrow back. He lined the arrow up, holding his breath as he waited for the shot. Tracking the snarling forms rolling around.

The second he had a clear shot, he didn't hesitate. He released the arrow, hand immediately drawing a second as the carbon shaft whistled through the air, the precision projectile spinning in the air. The arrow sank home with enough spin and force it drilled its self into the things jaw.

A gurgled high pitched caterwaul pierced the air as the creature tumbled back, the wolves startled enough to leap clear. He knocked the second arrow and pulled back, waiting for the creature to stop its back-peddling. The second the bug hit the tree, he released the second arrow, wincing as the arrow skewered it through the neck, pinning it to the tree as the huge mass of wood shuddered, roods being ripped from their home under the sheer weight and force applied by the mammoth bug.

He drew another arrow, dimly noting the wolves backing away from the thrashing big-bug. He calmly checked his aim, biting his lip. It was true his aim definitely needed some practice but he could do it. Lining up the tip of the arrow, he sent up a small prayer and let the arrow loose on the thrashing demon-bug.

The arrow hit true, piercing the things head, sending the creature into convulsions. The tree it was pinned to finally gave in to the weight and force, toppling backwards to hit the floor with a deafening boom.

Lowering his bow, he kept his eyes on the twitching bug. Taking a few deep calming breaths. He'd done it, he was alive. He slowly hobbled forwards. Watching the twitching limbs. He wasn't positive the thing was dead yet. The sudden warning growl as he got to close to a twitching hairy leg reminded him he'd had help.

Xander turned to the panting wolves watching him, eight of them standing around. They definitely weren't normal wolves that was for sure. A bit too big, and definitely too smart.

"Uh, thanks for the save, who ever you are, but I gotta make sure it's dead." He told them, side stepping to pick up forgotten bag. He searched through the contents as the wolves cocked their heads in shock. He left the bow on the ground with the arrows beside it once he'd located the small wood axe. It wasn't particularly good in a fight, but for what he needed it for, it was perfect.

He hobbled to the fallen bug, watching as it's limbs continued to twitch spastically, he moved around to where the gushing neck was still pinned to the tree. The large gaudy rings was hung on some sort of chord. A thick black chord that was held together with a large knot the size of his fist.

Using the sharp blade of the small wood axe, he cut the chord, pocketing the lumpy ring.

"You just had to be a bug demon." He scowled, hefting the axe up. "I HATE bug demons!" He brought the axe down of the demons elasticised neck, ducking the spurt of puss coloured blood. He ripped the axe out and brought it down again, nose wrinkling at the smell.

"Demons?"

Xander span, axe raised at the new comer, blinking when he saw a Native American in the middle of the wolves. Well that answered the question of what the Black's where.

"Your shifters aren't you?" Xander eyed them, lowering the axe. If they wanted him dead, they could have let the bug kill him, but they hadn't. They might give him the wiggins, as the man was now he was back in human form, but he wasn't going to say they where bad off the bat. Like Giles had said, not every supernatural being was evil.

"I'm Luca, of the Quileute tribe." The man nodded, he looked to be in his early twenties but Xander knew he could be older, a lot older.

"Cool, I'd been wondering what you were." He nodded turning back to the bug, he continued to hack through his neck. "And yeah, I'm pretty sure it's a demon, if not it will be some mystically mutated bug thing from somewhere." Xander nodded. "Or even some dimensions answer to a cockroach." He finished, grabbing onto the bugs head as he severed the last bit of bone, muscle and skin. He tossed the head away from the rest of the body as it's limbs finally stopped twitching.

"What are you?" Luca asked as the other wolves shifted, seamlessly transitioning from wolf to human. Some where slower than others, but the end result was the same, eight people stood in front of him.

"Me?" Xander frowned, looking at them as he moved to begin hacking at the legs. The bug hadn't dissolved, so he got the pleasure of having to clean it up. Oh Joy. What bothered him was the fact they thought he was different. It was something that had been worrying him more and more everyday. His spirits where getting stronger, more there, and something was happening to his body. He didn't know what was happening to him, and that scared him, he didn't want to become the same sort of thing he hunted.

"You feel…strange." Another answered. "When it was noticed, we were sent to watch you." he added.

"I'm not looking to hurt anyone, I'm one of the guys who stops the bad things from hurting others." Xander told them, pulling a face at the hairy limb he was hacking through. "I don't know why I feel strange to you guys. I think it might be Spot and Tackelberry, but I'm not positive." he added softly.

"Spot? Tackelberry?" Luca blinked, the shifters all looking at him with various degrees of confusion.

"A primal hyena spirit, and a dead special ops soldier that died in a fire fight." Xander shrugged as the limb fell to the floor. He looked at the bulky weight. "Don't suppose you guys can lend a hand." He motioned to the spindly limb. After a pause, one of the shifters moved forward, easily picking up the leg and carrying it to the head. "Any way, I've been possessed a few times, and either since I got here, since I left the hellmouth or since I got my head bashed in, they've been getting stronger." he informed them. It felt good to get his theories out in the open, he'd have to call Giles and see what the older man thought, and if it was bad, they might be able to find a way to stop it.

"Maybe the elders will know, they could help." One of them offered, watching him as Xander continued to carve the demon-bug up.

"Well, ya se, there's a problem with that." Xander sighed, he hacked through another limb, wincing as his arm began to ache. He was seriously out of shape for this sort of thing he decided. He paused and turned to them, rubbing his shoulder. "This guy's actually an assassin sent to kill me." He told them bluntly. They all paused a moment, looking at him.

"You have assassins after you?" Luca asked in shock.

"Yep." He nodded. "A couple of really nasty guy's came to town and we've been ruining their plans of death, destruction and all around mayhem. So according to Angel, who took out the assassin after Buffy after a Q and A session, the very loony Dru decided to put out a bounty on all of us with the Order of Terakka, and the Order just happens to be ruthless and relentless." Xander explained, he frowned as a couple of the shifters moved to the corpse and began easily ripping it apart, throwing the parts onto the growing pile until that's all that was left. A pile of bloody limbs. He hobbled to his abandoned bag, putting his bow and the quiver of arrows away before pulling out a small canister of lighter fluid and a box of matches.

"So there may be more of them?" Luca asked with a frown.

"More assassins, probably, more bug assassins, I don't know." Xander shouldered his bag and moved to the pile of limbs. He emptied the whole can of accelerant over the corpse and lit a match, igniting the pile. He listened as Luca sent one of the wolves off back to the elders, watching the dead bug burn a moment. He wasn't sure he'd survive another assassin. He turned to the wolves a question beginning to niggle at him.

"you said someone noticed I was different?" He asked , unable to help the small frown. He hadn't done anything overtly strange had he?

"You can use your bow." One of the wolves shrugged lightly as he watched the flames.

"So." Xander eyed the small hunting pack in the clearing with him.

"if you healed as slow as humans do, you would still be In the hospital." Luca shrugged. "I'm surprised Chief Swan didn't notice it too." the man looked at him.

Xander swallowed slightly, remembering all the injuries listed on his chart. The wolf was right, hell by all rights he should be dead. So why wasn't he? He'd had broken ribs before and he'd never bounced back from them this quickly. His eyes drifted to the bag that held his bow, feeling sick. He could cope with being something other than human, Buffy was a slayer and he was still best friends. He wasn't a hypocrite, but what scared him to the bottom of his soul was that he didn't know what was wrong with him. Stepping away from the fire, he lifted the shirt and woolly jumper away from his chest, looking at the smooth scar from where he'd been operated on. Again the wolf was right, he was healing way to fast for normal. For the damage done to him, he figured he was healing as fast as Dead-boy, if not faster.

Something wasn't right here, it was so far from right it wasn't even funny. The hyena could influence him, he knew that, and so could the soldier, but neither healed the way he was. He needed to get to his books, and he needed to call Giles. Now!

"Are you ok?" a young woman, long raven locks falling down her back peered at him under the curtain of her hair. She was stood close to him, but not so close as to invade his personal space.

"I need to go, I need to…" He moved to his bag, snatching it off the floor. He noticed immediately how his leg only ached. How could he have missed so much?

"What about the assassins?" Luca asked, Xander blinked, he'd forgotten about them. Biting his lip, he weighed up his options. It would take him a few hours to get back to town, he could call Giles on the phone on the way, and hopefully he'd get a better time frame on how long the assassins would be a problem, if it was going to be a while, he'd sneak in grab his books and high tail it out of the house before any assassin could get him. He hoped. With more conviction than he felt he turned to the wolves.

"If any more turn up, I'll deal with them." He told them, immensely proud he kept the uncertainty from his voice. He'd deal with them, probably by finding a nice cosy place to hide and wait it out. Scanning the clearing, he headed out the way he'd came, pulling his phone and hitting the speed dial.

He could hear the wolves follow as he headed down the trail he'd hiked up not long ago, phone pressed to his ear. The shifters made no show of hiding themselves as they paced him in their animal forms. He wondered why they where going to the bother of following him briefly as the phone continued to ring. He hung up as is went to the mans answering machine picked up instead of the man, redialling a nanosecond later. Again it went to the answering machine. He redialled a third time, biting his lip. This time, when the machine picked up, he left a message.

"G-man, it's me. As soon as you get this you need to call me back. I'm serious, call me ASAP." He hung up and pocketed the phone. He could only hope that Giles wasn't answering was because he was dealing with the assassins, and not being dealt with himself. He blinked as one of the wolves shifted mid leap, landing a few feet from him on two feet.

"The elders have agreed to meet you, we can deal with a few assassins if they come." The man told him. Xander blinked, looking at him, as if reading his thoughts the wolf smiled a little. "We're telepathic when in our wolf form." He offered. Xander eyed him.

"You weren't reading my thoughts where you?" He asked, he wasn't sure if he was comfortable with that. The man shook his head, grinning at him slightly. Relieved Xander added this option to his stack. If the wolves could help narrow down the possibilities of what he was, or if they knew out right, it could save him a lot of trouble and aggravation looking. "Lead on." He nodded, accepting the offer. He didn't know why they where being so nice, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.


	9. Chapter 9

Jacob was waiting for them with Billy and an ancient old man when Xander and his escort finally left the woods. The sky was dark around them, the small neighbourhood lit up by streetlights that left huge shadows.

Xander moved to the Black's slowly, peering at them as he neared. Billy held his hand out as he got within a few feet, Xander shook it as he slowed to a stop.

"Casey said you have assassin's after you?" Billy asked quietly.

"Err, yeah." Xander nodded weakly. "Um, sorry about them." He offered weakly, looking at them all. He tried not to shift as the old man with silver hair stared at him. He had the feeling the man could see everything. It made him feel naked.

"Xander, this is…" Billy began, the older man silenced him with a wave of his hand, his dark eyes never leaving Xander, even to blink.

"He knows who I am, in his heart." The old man stated quietly. Xander blinked, giving the man his undivided attention as the thickly accented words hit him. He knew who this man was, in his heart? What the hell was that about? Yeah sure, this man felt familiar, even with the wiggy feeling he seemed to get from all the wolves, but there was something else. The man felt…he almost felt like his pack had just after they'd been exorcised, only it was slightly different and a lot more stronger. "You carry a taint, from the maw." The old man told him solidly.

"A taint, from the hellmouth, probably." Xander nodded. Giles said that the thing gave off something like mystical radiation. "I was born on it, lived there my whole life." he offered, he didn't want to offend the man by asking how he knew that.

"Yet your heart is pure." The man smiled, finally blinking. "It's been a long time since I've seen someone who is surrounded in the other." The man told him calmly, motioning for Xander to follow before he turned and began walking. After a moment, looking at the shocked wolves around them, he began to follow.

"The other?" Xander asked, confused.

"You know what we are?" The man asked simply, turning to look at him as they walked, behind them the others fell into step.

"Shifters, Lacorians." Xander nodded. "Not exactly were-wolves since the transition isn't dependant on the lunar cycle, it's an inherited trait." He offered, remembering what he'd read on them in one of the research sessions. He wasn't an expert by any means but little bits had sank in every now and again.

"We have little to do with the supernatural, we belong to the natural order." The old man told him serenely. "No one here has met a real being of the supernatural before. Until tonight that is." The man continued as he led them towards what looked like a small meeting hall.

"The bug-demon." Xander nodded. "I'm really sorry about that, I burned the corpse, ya might want to salt it just in case, or bless it, I can't remember which." He babbled.

"Not the bug." The man pushed the doors open. "You!" Xander stopped dead in his tracks, jaw coming loose. The old man just continued on walking, passed people, or rather what felt like wolves.

"What do you mean me? Do you know what's going on?" Xander hurried forwards, ignoring the others for a minute. He stopped as the old man turned to face him.

"No." The man answered honestly. "But you are touched by the primal gods." He stated. Xander blinked, ignoring Spot as she preened in the back of his head.

"So you got stuck with a hitch hiker too?" Xander guesses, unable to stop the wince as both Spot and Tackelberry gave him the mental equivalent to a smack to the head. The old man chuckled slightly as he sat in the old wooden chair with a skin cover, Xander suspected it was something like a goat or a cow skin.

"I guess you could call it that." He offered, motioning to the chair next to his. Xander sighed and sat, taking a brief look around the room. They were tucked into a corner of a large room, it reminded him of a very large bar, or as Giles would call it, a pub.

Despite the fact there was a low hum of conversation, Xander knew they where all listening to the conversation. "Tell me, how did you know we are different?" He gave Xander his full attention. Squirming slightly, Xander examined what he knew and what they felt like to him.

"Spot, ah, Spots a bit…full of herself." Xander admitted guiltily, and she was very full of herself, now they knew what the wolves were she was on her high horse. They where just shifters, dog's at that, where as she was a primal, a hyena primal. Hyena's were definitely feline's, and cat's hated dogs. He shifted a little under the intense gaze. "Spot's a hyena, an Alpha." he offered looking at the man. The man smiled slightly at him.

"I understand, we feel the same way." The man chuckled at him, Xander really needed to learn the guys name. Instead he looked at the man a moment.

"Luca and the others said you might be able to help me out." Xander broached, looking at the man. He hoped they had an idea or something.

"With the spirits inside you growing stronger?" the man asked, Xander nodded immediately. "There is something that we can do to find an answer, it's not perfect and it may not answer anything, but a vision quest may help you." the old man offered.

"A vision quest, where I have a vision that might help me, right?" Xander frowned. The old man gave a serious nod.

"It's not for the faint of heart, you could learn something's about yourself you'd prefer not to ever know, but it could help you find what your looking for." The old man told him truthfully. "If you want to go through with this, I can prepare for the weekend." he offered. Xander bit his lip, did he want to see inside him self? See what he was capable of. If it could help him find out what as wrong with him, he would do it. He nodded, bringing his eyes up to meet the old man's.

"I'll give it a shot." Xander agreed, nodding. He hoped this could help answer at least some of the questions floating around his head. "If it can help I'll do it." he agreed solidly.

"You should go home and get some rest, I'll have Jacob bring you over on Saturday." The old man ordered. Xander blinked a moment, he got that the other man probably wanted him to leave now, and he wasn't to fond of sticking around so many wolves, but he didn't think home was such a good idea yet. As if reading his thought the old man smiled slightly. "I think you'll be safe for now, I'm sure the hunters won't mind keeping an eye out." He offered.

"Are you sure, this is an awful lot of help when you've just met me." Xander eyed him. The old man just smiled some more.

"I've seen your kind before, consider it a favour." The old man offered. Xander nodded, that was better, he could cope with a favour. Standing he offered the older man his hand.

"Thanks, it was nice meeting you." he told the old man, minding his manners as the older man shook his hand firmly.

"And you, Xander." The man agreed. "Go home, rest." He ordered. Xander nodded, hiking his bag up before leaving, trekking through the large room and out into the cold night beyond.

Xander moved through town, with his head down, lost in swirling thoughts. He hoped this could work, he hoped he could find out what was making his spirits so strong and his healing as fast as it was. He really just hoped he could find the answers to all the questions running through his head.

He hunched deeper into his jacket as he left the reservation boundaries, feeling eyes on him. He hoped it was just some of the wolves and not something after the bounty on his head. His eyes began roving the streets, looking for anything suspicious as he stuck to the weak light from the streetlights. It was a relief when he finally spotted the Swan home not to far away. He increased his speed a little, anxious for the safty and warmth the home offered.

His cast hindered leg slid on a patch of black ice, taking his legs out from underneath him. He hit the floor with an oomph that knocked his breath from him, eyes flicking around in paranoia before he sat up. Something caught his eyes in the dark, his eyes straining to see what it could be. Keeping the eyes on the area he knew something was lurking, he got to his feet, hurrying up the path to slip into the Swan home.

In the dark wrapped in a cloak of shadows, Edward let out the lung full of air he'd been holding. He inched slowly from his hiding spot, scenting the air before he caught the teens heady scent. Shifting around, he easily saw Xander hobble into the living room, head bowed as Charlie looked at him disappointedly. He took another deep breath, trying to memorise the boy's scent, which even tainted with the wolves he'd hung around with, still drew him like a moth to a flame.

Edward stood there in the shadows, watching as Xander slunk off to his room, hoping to catch another glimpse of the odd teen. He wasn't disappointed as Xander appeared, haloed in the light of his room, muttering to himself as he began to strip.

He had to force himself to leave as the shirt finally came off, he didn't want to watch from afar like some pervert, and unfortunately he couldn't just go in. Locking his jaw, he forced himself to turn and leave for his own home, unable to shake the half naked image or forget the wild scent that begged for him.

Xander Harris was a puzzle, a strange puzzle that was just begging Edward to solve him. He was a puzzle Edward fully intended to solve.


	10. Chapter 10

Edward leant against his car as he waited, barely paying any attention to his adopted siblings as he waited for the orange pick up he hoped would contain his puzzle. It worried him, the fact this teenaged human had invaded his thoughts. He couldn't seem to shake the thoughts of him that seeped in and multiplied. Since the first time in the street when he'd almost hit the teen, the dark haired, dark eyed mystery hadn't been far from his thoughts.

He'd hardly picked anything up from Xander the first night, and since he'd been able to smell the drugs in his system, Edward had chalked the inability to read the teens thoughts up to the drugs flooding his system. Except then they had met for a second time, and all he'd been able to pick up were stray thoughts. Like snippets from a conversation, it was frustrating. It was like Xander had a constant running dialogue in his head with multiple personalities, but despite the fact it sometimes felt like multiple personalities, he knew that wasn't what the teen had, he'd been around plenty of people with the problem over the years, Xander was different.

He shifted as he heard the orange pick up, turning to get a better look as it drove into the school lot. Watching as the object of his musings climbed form the cab, not bothering with the crutches from yesterday. The wind shifted, carrying the boys scent across the open space, allowing Edward to catch it easily. Even with the distance, Edward felt hunger hit him like a tidal wave. He wanted Xander, wanted to bite and drink his fill, see if he tasted as good as he smelled. Wanted to touch him and feel if he was real. Most of all, he wanted to run away from the teen that could do this to him. He was over a hundred years old, he'd spent so much time around humans and not craved them as much as he craved this Xander.

A shiver travelled up his spine as he met chocolate coloured eyes, forcing himself not to move. Watching Xander come closer, heading towards the steps he always parked close to, he listened intently trying to pick up something from the teens mind.

~…really need to find out…if there are other…wonder if Giles…~

+Reconnaissance boy…find out as much as…these people…wolves know…+

*Or we…want, take, have…*

Edward frowned slightly, it was hard reading him, and it didn't answer anything. In fact listening to his thoughts just gave him more questions. On top of the already pressing question of what he was, Edward wanted to know how Xander knew about the Wolves on the Res and why he'd been there last night. Xander was his, Edward knew that much, and the thought of the wolves having what was his made his blood burn.

His head wrenched sharply to the side, braking his eye contact with the brown haired puzzle to glare at Emmet.

"Your growling." Emmet warned quietly, just enough for him to hear. Edward turned to look for Xander, eyes tracking the faces swarming until they landed on his target, already half way up the stairs.

"Remember what Carlisle said." Jasper agreed quietly.

Edward did remember the warning from his pseudo father, but it didn't change the fact that Xander was his, his to take if he wanted, his to bite and drink from if he wanted. It was a strange feeling for him, but it was a need that was growing with every passing second. He left his siblings there heading into the school.

His first class was English, a subject he could easily pass without even attending, he sat without paying much attention to the teacher as she talked about their class project. Instead he tried hard to listen for any sign of Xander.

He knew the boy had wood-shop, he could hear the students in his class as they thought about him. Some thought he was cute, some where thinking about how he'd ditched the afternoon before. He tried to listen to Xander but for some reason the teens mind was quiet. He knew Xander was there, but it was like he couldn't hear what was running through the boys mind.

-0-

Xander dropped onto his stool looking up at the board, eyes burned into his back and he had the feeling he'd become even more of an oddity since his abrupt departure from the school the day before. He hadn't wanted to return today either, with the threat of the assassins still looming over him, but Charlie hadn't been impressed when he'd returned…home.

His uncle was the laid back sort that didn't mind a good laugh and beer while watching the game, but when Charlie had been called about Xander ditching the afternoon and when he hadn't turned up at the house until late, it seemed he'd hit the officers parental button with a re-bar. In a way it warmed him a little, that his uncle obviously cared about him even after the short time they had known each other, he'd never had that off anybody other then Giles before. At the same time it had annoyed him, with having such dead beat parents all his life meant he wasn't used to restrictions.

Xander had been allowed to roam the streets from a young age, running the town with Jessie and Willow until late at night, back in the days when the hellmouth hadn't been as demonically active as it had become in the recent years. Having sudden restrictions after so long of practically being his own man was a hard fact for him to accept.

Shaking off his thoughts he returned his attentions to the wood-work teacher as he began explaining the lesson's activities. Chewing his lip, he tried in vein to pay attention. It didn't help that he'd barely slept a wink the night before. He'd been plagued with worries and theories that had swirled constantly around his head. He was positive it wasn't his peanut gallery, it was hard to hide anything from people you shared not only thoughts but emotions with. He trusted Spot and Tackelberry, it was impossible not to when they had helped him out so much, Spot had changed in the year or so she'd been in him, and Tackelberry had a massive sense of honour. For some reason the soldier felt it was not only his duty to help Xander, but a matter of honour.

"Mr. Harris?" the teacher loomed in his vision. It was so abrupt Xander actually fell off his stool.

He landed hard on his back with his eyes still on the long haired teacher in front of his bench, he blinked frowning at the teacher as his heart calmed down from its lurch of shock.

"Huh?" he ordered unintelligently. How the hell was he going to explain this?

"Are you ok?" The teacher moved around quickly to help him up, Xander just nodded, fighting down the blush that wanted to rise as all the students in the class stared at him, it was obvious they wanted to laugh and the only reason they weren't was the warning glare on the teachers face. Xander ducked his head trying to come up with a good excuse for his spacey-ness that wouldn't get him labelled with the same class-clown slacker label he had at Sunnydale high. "I don't think taking this class while your still on pain medication is a good idea." The teacher sat him on his stool. Bingo! Xander felt relief flood him and played along.

"Sorry, I thought it would have worn off by now." He blinked up at the teacher, he felt a little bad about playing on the sympathies of the teacher, but technically he was still on pain medication, a lot of it because of the injuries he had. Granted he'd stopped taking it the second he got out of the hospital, not swallowing and later flushing the various pills Charlie gave him. He came from an addictive background and didn't want to chance it. There was also the fact it was a small town and they all probably knew how bad he'd been hurt, it would be a bit obvious if he was suddenly miraculously healed after injuries that took normal people months and even years to recover from. Now he noticed how healed he was, he was almost becoming paranoid about it.

"It's ok, I'm gonna give you a hall pass, I think you should go to the library for a while." The teacher offered with a reassuring smile. Xander nodded in thanks.

'Hooray I'm saved!' He thought sarcastically as he strolled down the halls with his shiny new hall pass, he had no idea were the hell the library was but he had a pass to get there. Apparently all the teachers thought he was doped out of his skull on pain killers and were surprised he was actually in school. He turned down the hall, promptly bumping into a solid wall that had him on his back for the second time in an hour.

Edward Cullen was stood above him, looking down at him with a frown on his face even as he offered Xander his hand.

"Really, we have to stop meeting like this." Xander accepted the hand, immediately noticing it's lack of body heat, just like Carlisle and Rosalie. Another piece to the seemingly gigantic puzzle slid into place as Edward easily pulled him up. Xander barely hid his frown at the show of effortless strength.

"You bumped into me." Edward let go of his hand as soon as he was on his feet, taking a step away from him. Xander peered at the other boy, cocking his head, Edwards eyes where dark now, almost black instead of the warm amber he'd seen outside. "Going somewhere?" Edward asked after a heart beat.

"Library." Xander answered eyeing the boy a moment.

"You too? Do you know where it is?" Edward offered, he hadn't blinked once since he'd helped Xander up.

"Yes and no, in that order." Xander shrugged, hitching his bag higher. He fell into step next to Edward as the bronze haired boy began to head back the way he'd just come. "you are going to the library now right?" he asked, looking at Edward from the corner of his eyes.

"Yes." a simple on syllable answer, Xander got the feeling Edward wasn't very social. It could explain the guys obsession on running him over.

'oh great, another brood boy.' Xander sighed mentally. ' I hope to god he hasn't got any long lost kids baying for his painful, very bloody death.' he mused as they walked, he missed the strange look that crossed Edwards face. 'Knowing my luck they'll use me as Xander brand monster bait.' he snorted mentally.

*Not if we mate with him.* Spot purred helpfully, Xander almost missed a step.

+Leave the poor kid alone!+ Tackelberry snapped at her, giving the incorporeal equivalent of a trip.

*He'll make a good mate, strong mate. Make good pups.* Spot purred, rubbing herself along Xander's mind like a cat who wanted to be stroked. Xander tried to ignore it and suppress the sudden choking fit he wanted to have.

'I'm a guy, with guy parts. There is no chance in hell of me having pups with him! And you not finding a way to either!' Xander fought down the shudder at the prospect of him having kids. He just knew it would be him to have the kids if it was possible, he shuddered for real.

"Cold?" Edward asked, he had a funny look on his face when Xander turned his head to look at him.

"A bit.." He lied, what else was he gonna say. 'No, I just can't stomach the idea of carrying your babies.' he could face the probability that he was gay, but gay and pregnant. Just the thought brought up images of a deranged Jerry Springer special.

"_Tonight on Jerry Springer 'Gay and pregnant at eighteen.- when good spells go bad!' My first guests tonight are Xander Harris and Edward Cullen. Xander is an eighteen year old Slayerette from the Hellmouth who is pregnant with Edward's baby. Edward is an emotionally fragile school boy with cold hands and eye's that change colour. Let's meet them." Jerry turns from the cheering audience to the stage where Xander's hands sit on his bulging stomach that's hidden beneath a loud orange and green Hawaiian shirt. Edward, dressed immaculately, is sat on Xander's right his face drawn in the classical brooding expression of endless torment._

-0-

Edward stalked into the library wordlessly handing the librarian the pass before heading into the stacks. Biting his lip to keep form laughing. The impression of Xander's Jerry Springer show was hilarious, the human definitely had a vivid imagination.

He brought his hand up to stifle the snickers as he disappeared between the shelves of the schools small library. While he couldn't read the boys mind, the small flashes of the boy's imagination where like a sip of sweet blood after being unable to feed for a month, soothing but only wetting his appetite for more. As far as first and even second impressions went, Xander just kept drawing him in with his strange mind and stranger sense of humour. It was a strange sensation entirely after so long, being able to read people's thoughts had left him somewhat jaded. He knew people before he actually met them face to face, little to nothing surprised him anymore. Bella Swan didn't quite count as she was his singer, she smelled like the most appetising feast that ever existed. He couldn't read her mind at all though, which was off putting, it was like she simply wasn't there. That was one of the reasons he'd steered clear of her, after he staved off the compulsion to slaughter her painfully while drinking his fill of her rich blood, his inability to read anything at all from her made him weary.

This Xander though, the masked thoughts puzzled him, the titbits he was privy too created a complex mystery and one thing he loved to do was solve mysteries before Sherlock or Hercules Poirot.

He calmed himself as he searched for the book he 'needed' for his book report, in truth he could almost recite The divine comedy from heart, but at least the excuse had aloud him to get out of his lesson and into the hallway to bump into Xander. However the human was right, they did have to stop bumping into each other. Finally finding the book he needed he headed back out of the stacks. He had the rest of his English period to study his puzzle in close detail, there wasn't a chance in hell he was passing that up.


	11. Chapter 11

_**The house was surprisingly quiet for a Friday night, it was almost alien for Xander. By this time of night, his parents would be getting to their angry stage, gearing up for another long shouting match. Instead Charlie was downstairs watching T.V, catching up on his paperwork and cleaning his guns, while Bella was in her room doing homework.**_

_**Xander shifted on his bed, wincing as his legs ached a little from sitting in one position for too long. His eyes left the page of his book to scan the world outside his window. Despite the assurances from Giles that the assassins had been called off after Drusilla's creepy spell, he still couldn't shake the feeling of eyes watching him. It didn't help he was nervous about the looming vision quest.**_

_**His week seemed to be getting worse. Despite his initial feeling that Rosalie might have been a possible new friend, since he walked out of school on his first day, she hadn't even acknowledged his existence. The little pixie that had seem so warm and genuinely nice hadn't so much as uttered a word to him, and other than Edward, the Cullen siblings seemed more than happy to remain ignorant of his existence. **_

_**If he were honest with himself, while Bella was ok, he wasn't to keen on her friends. He'd had bad dealings with jocks his whole life, cheerleaders coming a close second. Jessica and Mike fit into those categories like clones, the rest of their group not far behind. Plus, he didn't want to impose too much on his cousin. They where her friends, he knew how much being displaced for the new person hurt, after all Willow had done the same when Buffy moved to the dale, even without meaning too.**_

_**Reluctantly, Xander set his book aside, turning off his lamp as he got comfortable. As he got into a comfortable sleeping position he couldn't help but curse his cast. First thing in the morning, it was coming off. **_

_**Bright and early the next morning, after Charlie had left to do what ever it was he did on a weekend, Xander hobbled into the freezing cold basement where Charlie kept what tools he had, he didn't know what time Jacob would be coming to get him, or what the plan was exactly so he needed to work quickly. **_

_**Shivering in the cold dark room, Xander searched his uncles tools, looking for anything he could use to remove his cast. There was a jigsaw, but there was no way he was using that, he knew he'd end up right back in the hospital. Eventually he settled for a hammer and chisel. It would take longer, but there was less of a chance that he'd slip and cut his own leg off.**_

_**With the tools of his 'escape' firmly in hand, Xander retreated to his room, he had no doubt Bella would blow the horn on him if she caught him, she cared for people. It was nice but the cast had to go. Once safely back in his room he got to work. **_

_**Hammering the chisel into his cast was surprisingly therapeutic As he cracked large chunks onto a carefully place sheet, he found himself relaxing, like always having something to physically do allowed him to make sense of his thoughts and start working on the large mysteries in Forks. **_

_**Xander had one of his answers to the large mystery he was sure involved not only the shifter pack in Forks, but the Cullen's. The more he'd observed the near distant Cullen's, the more he knew he needed to find out more about them. He was hoping the creepy wolf guy would be able to help him, or rather answer a few more of his questions. There also had to be a reason why both sets where here in Forks, what ever it was. **_

_**He couldn't say for certain that either party where truly good, but the same applied to the opposite end of the scale. In fact if he were a betting man he'd say they weren't evil at all, there was no odd deaths any where near Forks, no strange missing persons reports nothing truly out of the ordinary going back to a few years before the Cullen's moved to town. Maybe he'd borrow Bella's laptop and do a search on the internet. With Willows help he should be able to find out where they moved from at least.**_

_**Another large chunk of his cast hit the floor exposing his knee, making him momentarily pause. While his healing had apparently sped up significantly, it seemed it wasn't as good as Wolverines healing factor. Now his knee was exposed, he could see the harsh scar along the inside of the joint. It was large and raised, at least four inches long. He winced just looking at it. He hoped with everything in him he'd be able to walk without a cane. It wasn't just that he hated the idea of being hindered in anyway, but it was the face he felt to young to have to be looking forward to a future of using a cane everyday. **_

'_**If I have to use a cane, maybe I could get one like Daredevil's, Matt Murdock knew how to accessorize.' he thought to himself, a grim smile twitching at his lips.**_

_**Tentivly, and with his lower leg still encased in the thick cast, Xander slowly bent his knee. He couldn't help the low groan of pain as he slowly moved his knee, but at the same time it felt immensely good to move his stiff joint again. Slowly and carefully, he slowly bent and straightened his leg several times, relaxing as the pain gradually lessoned.**_

_**When he was satisfied with that, he drew his leg up to begin removing the rest of his cast. The lower half of the cast proved much easier to remove, being able to bend his leg helped immensely. **_

_**With a huge sigh of relief Xander examined his now freed leg, before tentivaly standing. He had to hold onto his desk as he got to his feet, while his leg felt so much better than just last week, and even more so for being able to move, it still ached. Proving he wasn't one hundred percent better yet as it refused to hold all of his weight. However, he still had his crutches, and he could still use one until his leg could hold his weight again.**_

_**Slowly, using the wall to hold himself up he made his way to the bathroom to clean up and get ready for the day ahead, he had a lot to do, his vision quest was looming closer with every passing minute.**_

_**-o-**_

_**Jacob knocked on the Swan's front door, Leah at his side as they waited for someone to answer. Shifting he looked at his companion. **_

"_**What do you think of him?" he asked, leaning against the side of the wall. Leah regarded him with a board look a moment.**_

"_**He's strange." She shrugged.**_

_**Jacob barely suppressed an eye roll, she'd been watching Xander since the night he'd spoken to Jack after being escorted from the middle of the wood. While Jacob wasn't yet privy to everything in the pack, he knew enough to know Xander wasn't normal, that the Californian knew something. He also knew that so far Xander appeared to be one of the good guys. It also just happened to be that the pack weren't telling anyone everything, it was annoying Jacob, and not for the first time he wished he'd hurry up and start to shift so he could stop wondering about every little detail they weren't telling him. **_

_**Jacob was broken from his musings as the door swung open, he couldn't help the smile as he saw his girlfriend stood in the door way. She beamed at him the second she saw him.**_

"_**I didn't know you were coming over this morning." Bella stepped back, letting them in. Jacob followed after his girlfriend.**_

"_**Yeah well, dad promised to swap spooky stories with Xander, so I thought I'd take you out after we drop him off." Jacob smiled at her. She bounced a little on the balls of her feet before nodding bouncing to the stairs to call Xander. **_

"_**It's really good you like him, dad was worried that he might not be making any friends." Bella moved back to him a moment later. Jacob pulled her into a hug as she came closer, he had to admit he was relieved. He hadn't wanted to fight over taking Xander to the Res. **_

_**After a minute or so Xander appeared, dressed and ready to go. A bag over his shoulder. Jacob felt his eyebrows hike as he noticed the lack of cast on the other teen, he didn't say anything as Xander hopped down the stairs of his good leg.**_

"_**I'm all set for spooky stories." Xander smiled as he hit the bottom of the stairs. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes though. **_

"_**Good, Billy and Jack are looking forward to it." Leah moved forward and took Xander's arm, offering him her help. He looked a little surprised but let her help him. **_

"_**Err. We did meet right?" Xander frowned at Leah. "And please tell me Jack is the old guy I was talking to?" He added hopefully.**_

"_**I'm Leah Clearwater, and yeah that's Jack." Leah rolled her eyes tugging Xander with her. **_

"_**Shall we?" Jacob smiled at Bella, sweeping his arm out grandly. Bella giggled, but quickly grabbed her coat. **_

_**-o-**_

_**Edward frowned as he watched Xander climb into Jacob's truck with his cousin and two wolves, he was barely able to contain his snarl as he regarded them. There was no way he was going to loose what was his to a mangy gang of mutts, unfortunately he couldn't exactly go over and take what was his without a whole list of problems. His eyes tracked the truck as it left. Turning from his spot in the trees around the Swan home, he quickly left. He wouldn't be able to follow them onto the Reservation. **_

_**It didn't take him long to reach his home, he slipped in through his bedroom window, relaxing when he saw his door still shut. **_

_**Carlisle had warned them away from Xander, he had good reason to warn them away too. Xander healed abnormally fast for a human, and according to Carlisle some of the flippant remarks Xander made, Xander believed. As vampires they where able to detect when a human was lying to them, and Xander lied about some of the strangest things. Carlisle was justified in his warning about Xander, Edward understood that Xander could be a threat to their coven, their family. Even so, he just couldn't stop watching Xander at night, listening to the boy's thought's when he could or even stop the urge he had to manipulate situations so he could keep bumping into Xander. **_

_**He looked up as he detected Carlisle approaching, 'think of the devil.' Edward mused dryly as he moved swiftly, it was time to face the music apparently. Edward opened his door and stood back, allowing Carlisle to enter his room, closing the door softly behind his father. **_

"_**We need to talk." Carlisle sat on the divan, motioning for Edward to joining. Nodding, Edward crosses the room taking the seat next to Carlisle. He looked at the older vampire, waiting for him to begin. "Rosalie tells me you've been watching Xander." Carlisle began, looking straight at him. **_

_**Edward just nodded in agreement, he wouldn't hide anything from Carlisle, he couldn't. Carlisle was his friend and his father, they had been together for almost a century. He trusted Carlisle implicitly, more so than anyone else in their family. He knew what was coming next and waited for it, already formulating his answer.**_

"_**Can I ask why?" Carlisle probed.**_

"_**I can't explain it Carlisle…he smells better than any other human I've ever met, even Bella, I want to bite him, drink him, but not kill him…when I'm around him, I just know…that he's mine." Edward took a cleansing breath, he'd been over the same lines of thought so many times since meeting Xander a few days ago. He ran a hand through his hair agitatedly, in all honestly the more he was around Xander, even when Xander didn't know he was there, made him want to be around Xander more, and the more he was around Xander, the more he began to hate the idea of not having him around. **_

"_**Edward, are you attracted to Xander?" Carlisle asked, his tone surprised but not condemning.**_

_**Edward thought about the question, was he attracted to Xander. It was obvious even to himself that he was attracted to Xander's blood, he was a vampire, he was attracted to anything with a pulse, but was he attracted to Xander in the sense Carlisle was asking? Abruptly the image of Xander stripping in his room as he got ready for bed came to his mind. As a vampire he had exceptional sight, he'd been able to see the strong muscles under soft tanned skin, the slim odd scars that littered his powerfully built torso. He remembered how Xander had looked, head down cast as he worked on his belt just before Edward had left, plump lower lip caught between his teeth, eyes heavy lidded slightly obscuring his dark chocolate eyes. Oh yes he was definitely attracted to Xander. He felt shock flood his system.**_

"_**Yes." he answered simply, not meeting Carlisle's eyes. He relaxed as he heard Carlisle's thoughts on his admission, Carlisle was happy for him. **_

"_**Xander's not normal, he looks human, but he heals far to fast to be human." Carlisle began, surprisingly completely at odds with what he was thinking. Edward felt his heart sink, looking at his father sideways. "Be careful son." Carlisle put a hand on his shoulder. "We don't know anything about him, so be careful." he ordered standing. Edward looked up in shock. **_

"_**Your serious." Edward looked at Carlisle, it wasn't a question, but he needed verbal confirmation. Thinking something and saying something where to different things. **_

"_**I'm serious, just be careful." Carlisle nodded before leaving. **_

_**Edward flopped back onto his bed, shock flooding his system, Carlisle had just basically given him permission to go after what was his. Xander wouldn't know what hit him.**_


	12. Chapter 12

Thick salty tears streamed down the sun-kissed face, silent tears of old pain and sadness. They ran in rivers that felt never ending, boiling hot tears that burned as they moved, yet at the same time felt somehow…good. With every shuddering breath, his chest ached with a pain so deep it made everything else up to this one moment in time feel insignificant. Yet with each shuddering, agony laced breath, an unknown weight, an inhuman pressure was being lifted, millimetre by millimetre. The bedroom door was barricaded, a pillow hugged close to his face, soaking up the tears, muffling the occasional heart braking sobs.

It was supposed to help him figure out what was wrong with him, shed some light on his problems. In a way it had, but these weren't the sort of problems he wanted to face. Now he was. Jack hadn't been wrong in warning him, maybe that had been his first mistake. If he could, he would go back and leave well enough alone. Vision quests weren't for the faint of heart. No shit!

The stake slid in easily, like a hot knife through butter. Xander could feel the resistance as the wood hesitated just a fraction before it slid into the cold lifeless heart.

Things where supposed to be simple. Vampires where dead, walking corpses killing and feeding off people. They where soulless monsters. Black and white. If it's not human, kill it. He'd been ok with that, it meant he wasn't a cold blooded murder himself. Only that wasn't the case anymore.

An expression of betrayed shock crossed the pale face, ridges and fangs melting away with a spine shuddering scrunch of bone. The cold golden eyes, only seconds ago filled with mischief, humour and something Xander wasn't ready to understand yet, flickered to the warm blue he'd know anywhere, any time.

Across the hall, a deep pulsing beat struck up from Bella's room, a haunting melody. A harsh choking sob was muffled by the pillow. The beat, so similar to a heart beat thumped heavily, taunting him.

**It doesn't hurt me. **

**You wanna feel how it feels? **

A cold hand was pressed over his heart, the slim wrist was held in his free hand. No pulse fluttered beneath his finger tips. His whole body was frozen in denial.

**You wanna know, know that it doesn't hurt me? **

**You wanna hear about the deal I'm making? **

It was on the tip of his tongue to take the offer, to accept the life being offered to him. It didn't matter that he didn't agree with it, he wouldn't care afterwards. It would be the same as it had always been. Just the two of them against the world.

**You *be running up that hill* **

**You and me *be running up that hill***

Now it was too late. Fate had intervened, here was no way to take it back. The face seemed to pale even more, taking on an ashen hue. As the stake slid home, Xander's whole world shifted for the third time in two days.

**And if I only could, **

**Make a deal with God, **

**And get him to swap our places, **

**Be running up that road, **

**Be running up that hill, **

**Be running up that building. **

**If I only could, oh... **

The shock and betrayal in the blue orbs changed, Xander could read the acceptance and forgiveness in those eyes. A small calm, almost serene smile crossed red lips, forgiving him, always forgiving him. No matter what.

**You don't want to hurt me, **

**But see how deep the bullet lies. **

**Unaware that I'm tearing you asunder. **

**There is thunder in our hearts, baby **

In the end , it only really took a second, a single heart beat. The face crumpled, the whole body imploding, fluttering to the ground in tiny flakes, disintegrating into nothing more than a dust mote. There was nothing left of the one person Xander really knew.

**So much hate for the ones we love ? **

**Tell me, we both matter, don't we? **

**You, *be running up that hill* **

**You and me, *be running up that hill***

**You and me won't be unhappy. **

He had killed Jessie. His stake had slid in to the heart of his best friend, his brother. He had killed the only person right in his universe. It didn't occur to him that it was the right thing, that came later.

**And if I only could, **

**Make a deal with God, **

**And get him to swap our places, **

**Be running up that road, **

**Be running up that hill, **

**Be running up that building, **

**If I only could, oh... **

He had been ready to join Jessie in the unlife, in death. From the cradle to the grave, blood brothers, together forever. Them against the big bad world, watching each others backs until the end. Willow wasn't a factor yet. Not now.

**'C'mon, baby, c'mon, c'mon, darling, **

**Let me steal this moment from you now. **

**C'mon, angel, c'mon, c'mon, darling, **

**Let's exchange the experience, oh...' **

**And if I only could, **

**Make a deal with God, **

**And get him to swap our places, **

**Be running up that road, **

**Be running up that hill, **

**With no problems. **

**With no problems. **

It hadn't mattered that he was a vampire, a killer, because this was Jessie. Even in death Jessie had his back and for fifteen seconds, Xander had Jessie's newly demonic back. No hesitating. One heart beat had changed that. One heart beat, one accidental shove from a fleeing bystander hardened his heart. Vampires where evil, and they where all going to die…

That wasn't the case anymore, it wasn't all black and white, just shades of grey. He knew that now, knew what he was capable of. He was capable of murdering his brother and best friend in cold blood. 'The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few' it was a good quote, a real on that made sense. Xander believed in it, but it didn't offer him any comfort.

Another harsh sob tore from his chest, as he finally came to terms with Jessie's death. He could no longer hide form what he had done, what he had been prepared to do if only briefly. As he grieved for the one person he had always been able to count on, he began to heal, the reopened emotional wounds beginning to heal. With it came a new feeling of rightness. He was capable of cold blooded murder, but he would never resort to that measure unless absolutely necessary.

It didn't matter what he was turning into, he would not become that sort of person, he would do everything in his power to stop that from happening.


	13. Chapter 13

**School seemed to be the only place Edward was able to catch Xander, at least without having to come up for a decent explanation as to why he was out side Xander's room. As long as he didn't want to come off as a stalker type that is. For some reason Edward didn't think any type of stalker behaviour would go over too well with his…target. It was easier calling Xander that, his target, at least until he actually knew if this was right.**

**Carlisle was right in the fact Xander was the first person he was really attracted to, but there was also the question of if Xander was interested in return. Edward could make a complete fool out of himself if he pursued Xander, only for the strange human to have no reciprocating interest at all. **

**Then again there was also the slight problem of wooing Xander if the teen did. How did one go about attracting a teenager romantically? More complicatedly, how did a walking, blood-drinking, mind-reading corpse attract a male teenager, who had some sort of natural ability to block most of said mind reading power. This was going to be a long campaign at the very least. **

**Edward had absolutely no idea about where to start, hence his current dilemma. He couldn't ask Emmet, correction, never in a million years would he ask Emmet about the best way's to attract a human. He'd never live it down and eternity was an awful long time after all. **

**He could possibly ask Jasper, but then again, Jasper was a teenager in the civil war. Edward doubted that perusing Xander with a military mind set would win the human over. While Jasper could be helpful in determining if Xander reciprocated, Edward didn't like the idea of asking Jasper to probe Xander's emotions for this purpose. **

**Then there was Alice, she'd been quite taken with Xander. Xander had amused the seer with his antics the day they had met. His naturally friendly personality had endeared the human to the pixie-like girl, not to mention he came off as a genuinely nice guy. **

**In most matters, he would usually seek one of the three out to help him with any problems he may have had. For instance the time he had heard the thoughts of a dangerous serial killer in the seventies. He'd been unsure on what coarse of action to take. Did he hunt down the human himself, quietly disposing of the vile human himself, possibly with the aid of his brothers. Or did he contact the human authorities to take care of the serial killer them selves officially. After a lengthy debate with his adopted siblings, they had stalked the man long enough to gather enough evidence, then anonymously delivered it to the police. Long story short, the man had been caught, and had been executed a few years later. **

**This was a completely different problem altogether. He wanted to do this right, but he needed help, and the only person he could think of with a potential solution to his problem. Rosalie. Esme probably could and would help him if he asked, but in this case, Rosalie would be the better option. His statuesque sister seemed to like Xander, at least if the scene in the cafeteria was anything to go by, and Rosalie was well versed in this sort of thing. She would deny it on principal, but Edward could read her mind, he knew all about her secrete love of gushy, mushy romance stories where the couple lived happily ever after. **

**Edward knocked gently on Rosalie and Emmet's bedroom door, before he lost his nerve and left. It didn't take more than a second for Rosalie to open her door, arching hr eyebrow at him as she saw him.**

**{What does he want?} Rosalie's mental voice was heavy, put upon. Edward knew it was because he'd interrupted her reading. of course that was exactly why he'd picked this moment to interrupt. hopefully with all the gushy details of the story on her mind, she would be more inclined to help him. **

**"Can I talk to you?" Edward broached softly. her perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose another millimetre. To a human, the tiny shift would go unnoticed, to Edward and other vampires it was like a completely different facial expression, an impatient one. "Privately?" He added. **

**Her eye's bored into his a moment, her thoughts being drowned out as she actively thought about what to buy in Seattle. Whatever she saw apparently satisfied her, and she nodded.**

**{Meet me by the river in an hour.} Rosalie shut the door in his face, retreating back into her room. **

**Edward sighed in relief, turning on his heal and heading down the stairs. The first part was done, next came the impossible part. Asking Rosalie for help.**

********

**Xander hopped down the stairs, trying not to jar his still painful knee as he went. He had to be careful, Charlie was about ready to cuff him and cart him back to the hospital for a new cast. That was a really bad idea, the second Dr. Cullen ran any tests he'd be found out, and Xander really doubted Dr. Cullen would fall for any of the answers Xander could give, even if he told the truth.**

**Then again, Jack hadn't been helpful on the Cullen front, only giving him a vague warning to stay away from them. Maybe he should press the Cullen's and hope for the best... Yeah, and Xander really had a shot with Buffy, which of course was about as probable as Tony and Jessica willingly sobering up. **

**Xander hit the hallway floor on his good luck, eyes automatically scanning the room. Billy and Jake where here, Billy by the couch with Charlie as they watched the game. Jake was sat with Bella, both doing their homework. It was almost too domestic, he thought the only kids who did homework like his cousin and her boyfriend where nerds, or Willow's. **

**"Dinner's gonna be ready soon." Charlie looked away from the TV just long enough to look at Xander. **

**"O.K." Xander nodded, heading to the free armchair with his Catterax compendium of Supernatural. He felt almost awkwardly out of place as he sat, tucking his good leg under him. The Swan home was so completely different from the Harris home that he couldn't help but feel out of place. He'd shared more meals with the Swan's and Black's in two weeks than he had done with his own parents in two years. **

**He shook of the mood as he cracked open the second tome that Giles had sent him. The Catterax compendium of Supernatural was a sort of guide to the supernatural world. He was hoping that it would help him just a little, with either his puzzle's or his problem. Even though Giles had promised to find an answer as soon as possible -hellmouth willing- Giles still had to train his Slayer, research the demon of the week. Xander sighed slightly, eyes taking in the words as he began to read, relaxing as the heat from the fire seeped into him. **

**With every day, Fork's got colder, and for mid November, Xander was almost constantly freezing cold. He was not looking forward to school at all, but he had promised himself he was going to take it seriously. He hid a sigh and settled in, focusing on his book, keeping his mind occupied and away from the vision quest. **

****** **

**Edward looked up from his perch as his adopted sister entered the clearing, her arms crossed as she joined him on the out cropping of rocks over the icy rivers meander. He waited until she sat next to him, listening to her thoughts a moment. She was intrigued at least. He turned back to watching the water a few meters below his dangling feet, gathering his own thoughts.**

**"Well!" Rosalie sniped impatiently. "Are you going to tell me the big secrete?" Rosalie demanded, shifting as she eyed her nails. **

**"I need your help." Edward admitted, chewing his lower lip a second nervously. That made her frown. **

**"With what?" Her voice was softer now, slightly worried. Edward shifted, looking at her a moment, steeling himself. Taking an unneeded but calming breath, he mentally crossed his fingers.**

**"Well, you see it's like this..."**


	14. Chapter 14

Just like Billy had offered, Xander found himself bundled up with his bow and arrows, trekking through the forest with Jake, Leah, Bella and Leah's younger brother Seth. His crutches where still unfortunately glued to him, but at least he was allowed out and about -even if it was freezing. They where on their way to meet some more of Jake and Leah's friends, for the small friendly hunting trip- Looking for deer and the like.

Honestly, Xander was secretly looking forward to it. Even though the idea of hunting game didn't sit well with Bella, Xander couldn't help it. With every passing day, he felt Spot and Tackelberry a little more. The line's where beginning to blur at the very edges, and with it certain instincts where crawling in.

Xander wanted to hunt, and after almost a month of non activity, -Terraken assassin excluded of coarse - he was beginning to feel the lack of patrolling too. On the hell mouth, patrolling was a nightly occurrence, but here in Forks, without that nightly lethal danger, he was beginning to itch. Figuratively speaking. It didn't help that with every new day he felt better. He was almost ready to ditch the crutches.

So here he was, despite the freezing cold, getting a bit of hunting in before true winter set in, driving most of the game in to dens and warmer climates.

Xander slowed as their small group entered a clearing that held two boy's around Jacob's age. Like Leah, Seth and Jake, the two new guy's had small rifle's slung over their shoulders resting next to their back packs. They felt more like Jake than Leah and Seth, like they weren't quite…done yet. Even so, Xander and Spot still felt a little edgy around them.

"Xander, this is Quil Ateara and Embry Call. Guy's this is Xander." Jake introduced as Xander moved further into the clearing.

"It's nice to meet you." Xander nodded, offering them his hand once he'd hobbled a bit closer. Both boy's shook his hand as they sized him up. Finally Quill flashed a grin.

"You too." Quil seemed to relax stepping back.

"Are you gonna be ok with crutches?" Embry eyed him critically, as if weighing up his usefulness to the hunting party. Xander gave a nod.

"Bella wouldn't let me leave them in the truck." Xander admitted after a moment, shooting Bella a small glare. Bella just rolled her eyes in return, Embry nodded. "So where to now?" Xander looked at the Quileute's letting them decide their destination seemed like a tactically sound idea, they did after all know the woods better than him. They'd know the best place to find prey.

Look at him with the nifty words, he mentally snorted as he followed Leah, who had taken point to lead them further up. Now he definitely knew Spot was influencing him a little more, she always thought in those sort of terms. Pack, Prey, Mate, Cub's, Den, Territory, Interlopers and Threat. They where the most important to her, not always in that order but to her, those where her world, and they where slowly becoming his.

He was still worried about what exactly was happening to him, but even so, he knew Spot was only trying to help him, he was a sort of mesh of PackCubSelf to her. The lines between them where blurring, but even though Spot didn't want to go back to being just a locked up phantom, she no longer wanted to override him. He was just as much a part of her, as she was of him now.

Likewise Tackelberry was the same. To the Soldier, Xander was a brother in arms, a unit mate. Tackelberry didn't want to go back to how it was either, but he understood that Xander was Xander.

Then there was him. Doughnut boy, Zeppo, sidekick. Now that he had them, he didn't know if he could let them go. They WHERE a part of him, they where in his head and in his heart, and after so long, probably in his soul too. They'd been prominent fixtures in his vision quest. Sharing his mind but not overcrowding it.

Shaking his head a little, he turned his attention back to his surroundings. Still trailing after Leah. He had to admit to liking the Quileute's more than Bella's school friends. They where more to his liking, less Jock like and more…friendly. They where real, they didn't feel stuck in the superficial like Jessica and the rest of them. Sure, the superficial was good for people ignorant of the real world, but it didn't seem to cut it in a fight against the dark.

-0-0-0-

The line that surrounded the Reservation and its land was scent marked, drawing a physical line around the territory. It stank worse than the wolves themselves but it was a valuable tool when hunting close to their land.

The only problem was, Rosalie mused, was what the hell she was doing up here. At the very outer edge where neither her family or the dogs ever seemed to go near. Of course, Rosalie blamed this on both Alice and Edward. Alice for her damned vision, and Edward for his first ever crush.

This being the first time Edward had ever shown interest romantically in some one -a person Rosalie could at least tolerate- meant she had found it her duty to go along once Alice had said that she had to go find Xander up in the middle of nowhere, by a certain time.

Humans where a threat to her family, but in this case, Xander wasn't. at least not as far as the rest of the Cullen's see. Edward as she now knew, was falling fast for the strange Californian boy. Carlisle believed that Xander was a good person, if not quite typically human.

Esme had not yet met Xander, but Rosalie knew with certainty that Esme felt something for the boy. When she had learned Carlisle's new transferring patient was the victim of attempted murder by his own pearents, it had pulled at Esme's maternal heart strings…..if the motherly woman ever got near Xander, it was a certainty he would be loved within an inch of his tollerance.

Of course Jasper was another reason she was inclined to at least give Xander a small chance. Jazz was a good judge of character. His empathic abuilities allowed him an insight to people that Edward might not see with their thoughts, or if Edwards judgement was impaired from infatuation. Jazz agreed with Alice and Carlisle that Xander was a good person. Xander had only ever felt curiosity and friendly towards them. Granted he'd had a few other emotions. He at least liked Edward, and sometimes the confused him, nut otherwise, he had absolutely no hostile feelings towards them.

Then there was her own brief encounters with Xander, and if it hadn't been for Carlisle's warnings when they'd arrived home from the school that day, she would have been inclined to allow him to continue his interactions with her. He wasn't like most boy's his age…he felt safe.

So here she was, heading out further, along the boundary line, heading for the area Alice said Xander would be in ant promptly six-forty-two PM.

Checking her watch and reading 6:40pm on the designer face, Rosalie was spurred on by several voices screaming together.

-0-0-0-

Just once… just once Xander would have liked an outing that didn't involve blood shed and potential death. Looking at the sickly yellow line glowing around him and a dead tree, Xander drew his bow, ignoring his companions stuck outside what he guessed was a ward or containment circle of some sort.

Backing up as close to the edge of the glowing ward as he dared, Xander cast his eyes around the clearing marked out by the glow that shon about a foot and a half above the ground. His crutches were where he had dropped them a few feet away, and the dead tree was still in the middle of the clearing.

It was about that time as his companions started to quieten, when the shit really hit the fan. The dead tree wasn't actually very dead. Nor was it very tree like.

At first it was just a large gnarled lump of dark brown with a visibly bark like texture. Then of corse, it just had to move, rising five feet higher. Dirt and fauna where lifted up as the lump rose, rolling down untill it formed a rather volcano like base.

Once the thing stopped rising, the twisted and gnarly five foot tall, thick lump of…something began to untwist. Sort of like a flower bud blossoming. Two thick branch like arms flopped down, hand like protrusions hitting the floor with a thud. Using its arms it lifted its self fully from the ground, removing what looked to be its head from the muddy earth below.

As it righted its self, the body turning slowly until the bulbas head was up and then letting its two very short, thick and very stumpy legs hit the floor, well that was when the Bella, Jake, Quill and Embry began screaming.


	15. Chapter 15

All things considered in the grand scheme of his life, Xander knew that as bad days went, this was just a drop in the Shit-storm that was his life. How sad was it that wood Golem barely rated a blip on his weird-shit-O-meter. As the heavy arm slowly lifted to take another swipe at him, he shifted, preparing to dive and roll out of the way.

The two wolves battering at the ward where doing so amidst letting out summoning howls. Jacob had Bella backed against a large tree, keeping an eye out for any more Golem's that could potentially pop up. Finally, Quill and Embry where shaking in shock as they stayed out of the way. All this Xander noted as the wooden arm swung heavily towards him, He continued to note things as he dived to the side, dropping his shoulder and rolling, the impact of his back hitting the ground jarring his still tender injuries before he continued to roll to his feet, his leg giving a sharp twinge of protest.

Golem's, being what they where, where notorious for being slow. At least that is what he could remember reading, very slow, very clumsy, and usually very flammable. Unfortunately, his trusty kit was in the small back pack, with his main arsenal, which was out side the ward. He'd dropped his bow two dive's back and it wasn't really of much use anyway.

The appearance of a glittering blur coming up behind the Golem made Xander frown a moment. That frown deepened when the blur barrelled straight into the ward, causing it to wobble and ripple a second before it repelled the blur hard into a tree. Xander was just able to catch Rosalie's stunned face before he had to dive away from the Golem's next swing.

That absolutely cemented the fact that the Cullen's weren't human by along shot, into his head. Especially since there was now a Rosalie shaped imprint in the bark, but the blond was back against the ward testing it.

"Xander?" She demanded in shock.

Thankfully Rosalie's appearance had distracted the Golem, and since the blond was situated behind the ward, she was safe from the strike that glanced off the ward. The force of the hit splintering shards of the Golem's Bark like hide off. It also gave Xander long enough to scuttle out of way and pat himself down.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he kept his eyes on the huge, stupid creature. He came up with a pen knife, a stick of gum, three dollars in change, a button and his Scooby Pez dispenser.

Xander was used to having to MacGyver something up to take out one demon or another, but he was pretty sure even the A-team couldn't pull off this job with what he had. Keeping the pen knife to hand, Xander edged around the ward as the Golem continued to batter at the Ward in front of a very bewildered Rosalie.

His eyes flicked around the clearing, ignoring all the outside sounds for the moment. They where safe from the Golem, which was his main priority, especially since it appeared to have become disinterested with someone it couldn't get to and was turning it's sights on someone it could.

Xander swallowed, stepping away from the ward to give himself more room to move, the damp grass springy under his feet, muscles tense as he got ready to skirt the creature. He had to find away to either kill the Golem, or brake the ward. Preferably both, and preferably before the Golem squished him, he got hurt or he got tired.

He had no idea how he was going to do any of that. Golems where rare, preferring to live in isolated area's of dense woodland, or jungle. Like sticks to like after all. While stupid, Golem's usually stayed far away from human cultures, never really picking a fight unless threatened. So why exactly Golem warranted a Ward to secure it was something of a puzzle.

Xander dived and rolled again, wincing as it's heavy, hard wooden appendage grazed along his good leg, the tell tail stinging telling him he had splinters. He couldn't help the sub-vocal whine of pain as his bad leg throbbed, reminding him that he still wasn't as fit as he should be. On the upside, he was positive this wasn't an assassin out for the bounty that should no longer be on his head. On the down side, if that was true, that meant he still had his god awful Harris luck with him. At least the Golem didn't seem to want little Xander-demon-babies. Thank the lord for small mercies.

He edged around the containment area, trying to spot a weakness in the Golem. He was almost positive the tiny knife in his hand was about as useful against the Golem as a toothpick was to a Tank

-o-

Rosalie snarled slightly as the wolves neared her, their stink filling her nose. They growled back for half a second, but they all knew they had bigger fish to fry. Whatever the thing was, and however was trapped, was still attacking someone they both considered a friend to varying degrees. She could smell Xander's blood, not a lot, but still present in the air.

She slammed her palms off the ward again, still at a loss at what to do. If her husband where present, she'd be hoping his brute strength could perhaps brake the strange bouncing wall in front of her. Wasn't that just something out of a sci-fi story. A circular wall of energy that wobbled when you hit it, and bounced you off if you ran into it. Which begged the question, how on earth did Xander get trapped in there with it. Swivelling to look at her companions a moment, she demanded details, her eyes sweeping over all of them.

"I tripped!" Bella sobbed out hysterically as she focused on Rosalie instead of Xander and the creature he was stuck with. "I tripped, and he pushed me back into Jake." she clutched onto Jacob. "then…" Bella waved a hand at the strange barrier "THAT! Just popped out of no where!" Her hand clenched back in Jacob's jacket.

"What did you trip over?" Rosalie demanded. She had seen and done enough to know that sometimes, you had to trigger something. Trap doors, security devices. Hopefully this was something similar.

"A rock." Bella shrugged.

Bella let out a shriek as Xander came dangerously close to becoming a human smear, his shout of pain echoing around as he bounced off the barrier. Armed with something, Rosalie paced the outer edge of the barrier, looking for anything that could be a sci-fi device. Her sharp eyesight instead found a small rock, no bigger than someone's fist, covered in glowing squiggles.

She had no idea what it was, she was almost sure she didn't want to know either. Lifting her foot, she stomped on the rock with all her strength. She couldn't help the wince at the pain that sparked along her nerves. As the rock shattered, she couldn't help the surprised shout as she was sent hurtling into another tree.

She sprang up, grinding her teeth in anger. She just knew her shirt was ruined. Balling up her fists, she bared her teeth in triumph at the lack of a barrier. With a single leap, she crashed into the creature, the splintering sound satisfying as she impacted against it's back.

"MOVE!" Xander barked.

Rosalie flicked a glance, spotting Xander with what looked to be a stick of dynamite. A lit stick of dynamite, she felt her eyes widen as she sprang away from the creature. It was almost like something out of a cartoon, Xander tossed the red stick, about the size of a candle, under the creature and dived behind a tree as the short fuse sizzled away.

Rosalie could see the burning fuse as it disappeared, the creature looking down at the little destructive stick just in time to catch the explosion in it's face.

-o-

Xander sat up, unable to help the feeling of immense satisfaction at the sight of the burning wood. Grinning, he sent out a quick thanks to the idiot vampire that had the idiocy to have a box of construction dynamite in his crypt.

"What the hell!" Bella screeched.

Xander winced sheepishly as he got to his feet, wincing again as his leg throbbed in agony. He just knew he'd be covered in bruises. Eye's flicking around the dazed, stunned people around the clearing, and the smoking, charred chunks of Golem littered around, Xander felt his heart plummet.

"Gangs on PCP? Mutated Gorilla that escaped from some government lab?" Xander chewed his lip.

"I may be blond, but I'm not an idiot." Rosalie scowled, moving to him. "Where did you get Dynamite from?" She put her hands on her hips. "You need to see Carlisle." She added.

Xander shrank back from Rosalie, wincing as he lifted his bag. He knew visiting the doctor would probably be a good idea, but that would lead to more questions. He started to protest when she snatched his bag and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, her strong hands making him lean against her.

"Hey, I want to know what that was!" Bella dashed passed Jacob to grab Xander's bow.

Rosalie shot the wolves a glare as they fell into step with her, but she didn't say anything as she helped Xander move. She knew Carlisle needed to check him out, it would just be her luck that Xander died on Edward if she didn't take him.

Xander just remained silent, he knew the look and tone Rosalie was sporting, he also knew that if he had to get grilled, he only wanted it to happen the once.

"So what are you?" He looked up at Rosalie.

"The Cullen's are Vampires." Leah spat out the name as she jogged up to them, holding Xander's crutches.

Xander looked at the sour look on Leah and Seth's faces, then to the cold distain on Rosalie's. He couldn't help the snort of amusement.

"Yeah, and SunnyDale is actually a nice place to grow up." Xander shook his head. He'd pry it out of them eventually.


	16. Chapter 16

A headache to end all headache's throbbed at Xander's temple, the world spinning on its axis as he was set down onto something soft and warm. He squeezed his eyes shut as the voices around him just made the headache worse.

Things had gone from bad to worse on the trek to the Cullen home, with the Quileute's simultaneously explaining their shifter nature to Bella, trading barbs and insults with Rosalie, and then pestering him for answers. Now he was in pain, tired and just plain pissed off.

"What happened?" One voice cut through the din of Cullen's vs. Quileute, Xander cracked his eye open to watch Carlisle approach.

"I went to the clearing Alice told me to go to, I found Xander trapped inside something, fighting a huge creature out of some fantasy novel. The wolves couldn't get in and Bella screaming her head off." Rosalie summed up, crossing her arms as she shot a glare at Alice, then Xander then the Quileute's

"What?" Carlisle froze, looking between Xander and Rosalie.

Xander painfully pushed himself into sitting position, taking in the room. Leah and Seth where tensely stood by the front door, Emmet and Jasper hemming them from entering the home further. Bella was clutching onto Jacob, who'd put himself between her and the rest of the room. Alice was chewing her lip worriedly as her eyes flicked between Embry and Quill, then over to Rosalie and then to Xander.

"Bella tripped over a ward stone, it woke up the Golem that was trapped inside the ward. I pushed Bella out of the way, but got caught in with it. Leah and Seth couldn't get to me, Rosalie showed up in the nick of time to save me from becoming plant food." Xander listed, shoulders sagging as his whole body protested.

"What's a Golem?" Leah demanded.

"A magical creature, fauna based. I dunno why it was in a ward, Golem's usually stay well out of any built up area." Xander brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"So it wasn't another assassin?" Seth frowned.

"Assassin?" Rosalie shot Xander a glare as the Cullen's tensed further.

"A couple of Vampires looking to take over the hellmouth called them on our whole group, we kept getting in the way of their whole evil schemes for mass murder and mayhem." Xander answered tiredly.

He needed something to keep from passing out, he was almost positive he had a concussion. Plus if anything, he was hoping he might be able to get some answers out of everybody.

"Why didn't they just kill you?" Emmet shot him a frown, keeping most of his attention on Leah.

"Because they haven't been able to, duh" Xander rolled his eyes. "So really, what are you, some form of demon?" He looked up at Carlisle.

"We're vampires" Carlisle flicked his eyes from Xander to Bella, before moving over to Xander. Xander snorted, shaking his head lightly.

"I know Vampires, I've talked to Vampires, I've staked vampires. You , your not vampires" Xander eyed Carlisle.

"You can't stake a vampire." Rosalie snorted.

"Tell that to Jessie." Xander glared at her, he flinched in shock at his own outburst.

"Xander, our coven may drink the blood of animals, but we are vampires." Carlisle stood over him.

"You drink animal blood?" Bella squeaked.

Xander frowned as his eyes flicked over the Cullen's then to the others in the room. They all believed that the Cullen's where Vampires.

"Why do you drink animal blood?" He asked, hand inching closer to his bag, just in case.

He knew that while they where dangerous, they still didn't seem to be as coldly psychopathic as most demons he'd encountered on the hellmouth. His eyes flicked to Leah and Seth. If there where more than one breed of werewolf, it was possible the myth about multiple vampiric breeds where true.

"We don't feed from humans, because we do not believe in killing people for our benefit." Carlisle peered at him, not coming any closer than he already had. "We live amongst humans, but we don't hunt them." he admitted

Xander didn't take his eyes off Carlisle's face as he spoke, and he knew that he should be more weary, yet he wasn't. He still knew they where as deadly as Hyena in the zoo, but at the same time, he knew in his gut that Carlisle was telling the truth. Even with the headache, his brain was whirling, little pieces coming together like a jigsaw puzzle in his head.

"What breed of vampire are you?" he asked, deciding against going for a weapon just yet.

"Breed?" Alice frowned, Xander looked at her a moment.

"Why don't you drink blood?" he asked instead.

"When I look at a human, I see a person, not food." Carlisle admitted softly.

Xander blinked at that, looking at the other vampires in the room. He had always been good at reading people, it was something he'd been good at from an early age. It had saved him many beatings from his parents, and bullies alike. When he wasn't running his mouth off in an attempt to at least control the beating he was getting. He also trusted his gut, which again, had saved him many times. Right now, both his gut and his heart where telling him that they where sincere.

"You don't plan on eating me do you?" he asked softly.

"If I wanted to eat you, I could have done it long before now." Carlisle peered at him, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Xander snorted, relaxing fully as he decided to trust himself. Carlisle finished his approach, gently holding Xander's face as he examined the bruises Xander knew where blossoming on his face.

"Your in bad shape." he mused.

"Jee doc, that's what happens when you go toe to toe with a seven tonne Golem." Xander couldn't help the quip Carlisle rolled his eyes and sighed.

"You could at least tell us what you are." Carlisle eyed him, effortlessly lifting him off the couch. "We're going to my office." he added before Xander could open his mouth.

-o-

Xander sat on the small medical gurney in Carlisle's office, letting the doctor treat him without the usual protests. He was actually thankful, because he knew if Carlisle hadn't taken a look at him here, Charlie would have carted him back to the hospital the second he got home.

"You still haven't answered my question." Carlisle stated softly as he stitched up the cut on Xander's leg.

"That's because I don't have an answer." Xander admitted. "I'm the normal one, no powers or anything." Xander shrugged. "Jack, he think's that maybe I'm some kind of medium, I suck up energies and unconsciously add them to my own." he offered the theory he and jack had come up with.

"Energies?" Carlisle asked, pausing to look at the door.

Xander frowned cocking his head as he strained to hear, he could just make out footfalls rapidly approaching. Vaguely he could hear the din of people talking, but with the headache, he was having trouble focusing.

It was only really a few seconds before the door to Carlisle's office was opened by a beautiful pale woman with caramel coloured tresses, a concerned look on her face. Edward was just a step behind her, slipping into the room silently.

"Ah, Xander, this is my wife Esme. Esme, this is Xander." Carlisle introduced before going back to stitching up Xander's leg.

"it's nice to meet you Mrs. Cullen." Xander flashed the woman a small smile and a little wave.

"oh dear, what on earth happened? Emmet said you had a run in with something" Esme was across the room before Xander could blink.

"A Golem." Edward arched a brow.

Xander felt a blush begin to creep up his neck as he saw Edward looking at him from the corner of his eye. He could practically feel Edwards eyes boring holes into his chest. He nodded silently, determinedly looking everywhere but at the three people in the room.

"A Golem, a magical creature." Xander agreed softly.

"A magical creature…Another one, like the wolves?" Esme asked smoothing Xander's hair from his face.

Xander tensed up at the alien touch, eyes straying to Esme's concerned face. He couldn't help the frown. Esme didn't even know him, so why was she being so caring. For all she knew he could be a serial killer, or the reason the Golem was up there. Yet she was petting him so gently, as if he where made of glass, and if she was as strong as Rosalie.

"Esme mothers every one." Edward stated softly.

Xander flicked his eyes to Edward in shock, face shutting down as he looked at the vampire, and holy shit batman, Edward was a vampire. Here he was with a yen for the guy and he was Deadboy light, that had to be karma's sick sense of humour at work, Xander knew.

"Edwards a mind reader." Carlisle offered, picking up on Xander's tension as he continued to work on patching up the strange teenager up.

"A mind reader?" Xander eyed Edward, trying not to think to loud.

"I can read everyone's mind, except Bella's. You are very hard to read though. Your…friends don't help either." Edward admitted, face unreadable.

"That's good right? and you can hear my peanut gallery?" Xander straightened up a little. If Edward could hear the hitchhikers, what had he heard them say exactly?

"I'm not sure, yes and not much." Edwards lips crooked in a small smile. Xander blinked.

"That's slightly creepy." Xander eyed Edward. Mentally he couldn't help but admit that it was totally cool. Being the sci-fi and comic geek he was at heart, he couldn't help it. He had a way hotter Xavier standing in front of him.

"Thanks…I think" Edward cocked his head.

Xander flushed in shock, mentally berating himself as he looked at Edward, he froze as he realised what he'd just thought, becoming absolutely mortified. Edward probably knew that Xander liked him…where was the hellmouth when you needed it to swallow you up?


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Xander was very good at denial. Very, very good. He shifted on the seat trying to think of anything but the fact he found Edward attractive. It wasn't fair, thoughts were supposed to be private. Thoughts were where you had all the little fantasies you couldn't indulge in reality. Thoughts were how you coped with your issues and your day to day crap. Thoughts were very much personal and intimate. Then again, he'd been sharing his thoughts with his hitch-hikers for a while now, so he guessed he'd just have to man up, as it were. After all, he could be physically attracted to Edward, and if Edward didn't like it the Vampire could kiss his hellmouth born butt.

Nodding to himself, he relaxed, ignoring Edwards amused smile from across the sitting room as his eyes swept the room in general. Bella was sat with Jacob across the room near the exit, Leah and Seth bracketing Bella, Jacob, Embry and Quill between them. Xander was sat in the middle of the two sides. Across from him was Edward, Rosalie and Emmet were next, With Alice and Jasper filling the space by the window. Carlisle was leaning against the wall, and Esme was sat on the arm of the couch.

The painkillers Carlisle had practically forced down his neck were kicking in, letting him think with out the aches and pains he'd gathered. Sitting forward, Xander eyed them again, waiting for one of them to finally start with the questioning.

"What's a Hellmouth?" Edward asked, as if raising to his mental challenge.

"A What?" Bella squeaked.

"A hellmouth is a spot where the..'barrier' between dimensions are at their weakest. There's only ever one active hellmouth at a time, but I think there's like a dozen dormant ones around the planet." Xander answered honestly. "The hellmouth is also exactly like it sounds, a mouth to hell. if its allowed to open, it leads to like a bazillion different hell dimensions that occupy the same ...space and time. At least that's how G-man explains it" he added.

"Are you for real?" Rosalie blinked in shock. Xander rolled his eyes.

"O.K. Lets try it this way shall we." Xander collected his thoughts, trying to remember all the bits and pieces he'd read, and what Giles had told them.

"Earth didn't start as a paradise, it started as a world of epic darkness. The earth is older than any one could fathom, and for millions of years, it was ruled by creatures of unimaginable power and hate. They reveled in pain and despair, stomping across the earth. These creatures where the original Demons. The Old ones. They existed for themselves, and scared the higher powers of many other dimensions to leaving them alone, almost God-like in their powers." Xander licked his lips. "After a while, The first humans began to evolve. The old ones looked at the humans like we look at bugs, and to the Old Ones, they were bugs. To the Old Ones, humans had life spans of just a blink, no real power to speak of. What humans had however, was the ability to adapt. As humans grew and evolved, they began to learn how to wield magic. As the human race aged and grew, it bred with lesser demons and even The Old Ones themselves. This created most demons that are found today. Eventually, the humans and their demonic brethren realized they could fight and they banded together. They fought hard for hundreds of years, until somehow, no-one knows how exactly, they where able to throw the Old Ones from this dimension." Xander paused as he tried to tell them everything in the right order.

"As the Old Ones were leaving, one of the True demons killed a human, mixing his blood with that of the humans, creating one of the very first Vampires. Now, here's where it gets a bit muddy, because in some myth's that single vampire spawned the demonic vampires, but in lesser known myth's That Vampire Sired seven Vampires." Xander looked at the Vampires. "Every childer he sired was different, and they made the seven clans. The first, was the well known Demonic Vampire. That is the kind that infested the world like a plague. The second and third Vampires he sired, fed off energies. These two became known as Incubus and Succubi. The fourth childer he sired, became the origins for the Nosferatu vampires, which are killed with the blood of a dead man. The Fifth, was the Turok'han breed. The sixth, Were a soul sucking breed. Some who believe the Seven Clans Myth also believe that One of the Wraith species have their origins from the first Vampire. The Seventh and final Childer became known as the Immortal Vampire." Xander looked at the Cullens pointedly.

"The original Vampire is only known as Le Magra. The Blood God. With each new vampire he sired, he gave them one of his...Traits. The Demonic Vampires got the demon in him. Incubus and Succubi got his sexual needs. The Nosferatu got his life essence, they would live and die, they aged very slowly. The Turok'Han received his Beast, for lack of a better term. The Wraith got his taste and hunger for souls. The immortal Vampires got his soul and his immortality. With the rise of his last Childer, Le Magra essentially died, his duty done, and his Seven Childer were let loose on to the world.

"Let loose into the world, they began to breed, creating more and more of themselves. Some, hid in the back ground, some reveled in the world being created from the ashes of the Old one. The Demonic breed swept like a plague across the earth, and the humans created a slayer. A woman charged with killing the Demonic Vampires. The chosen one, the Slayer, was given all the strength, speed and senses of the demonic vampires she hunted, without the demon. She was the tip of the spear that fought against the evil demons that worked so hard to destroy that what had been fought so hard to get. Their freedom from the Old Ones." Xander wound down.

"You mean there are more leaches out there?" Leah asked in shock, and just a bit of fear. Xander looked at her.

"Trust me, if you had to fight the kinda Vampires I've fought, a veggie vamp clan wouldn't be so wiggsome." Xander told her pointedly. She didn't look very convinced. "The hellmouth is filled with demonic Vampires, they love it there. The hellmouth emits this kinda radiation, that makes most humans blind to it, and forget it if they see it. As an added bonus, evil demons like how the hellmouth feels, its like demonic Disney land or something. Generally, if its on the hellmouth, its up to no good." he added.

"Why would you have to fight Vampires?" Carlisle asked softly, looking troubled.

"My best friend Jessie was turned by a Master Vampire called Darla at the beginning of school last year. I staked him at the Harvest thing where The Master was trying to escape his prison and create a vampire paradise. After that, I kinda threw myself into the fight with Wills and the hunters that moved to town. No one else even noticed that the oogily-boogilies were crawling out of the woodwork to try their hands at ending the world." Xander shrugged. "That's also how the Assassins come into it. Drusilla and Spike are apart of 'The Scourge of Europe..." Xander trailed off when Carlisle and Jasper both made gentle hissing noises. "You've heard of them?" He guessed.

"Just rumours, I always thought they were our type of vampire." Carlisle murmured, a dark look crossing his face. "They slaughtered their way through Europe and Asia. There where four of them. Angelus, i remember the name of. Some one called the Bloody, and a Mad woman." Carlisle peered at Xander. Xander nodded.

"That would be Darla, Angelus the one with the angelic face, Drusilla the mad and William the Bloody, AKA Spike AKA 'The Slayer of Slayers." Xander nodded. "Darla is the same Darla that turned Jessie. They broke up in the 1880's or there about. Angelus snacked on the Gypsy girl Darla brought him and got cursed by the gypsy clan with a soul. He left his Sire and childer. A few years later, Darla left Drusilla and Spike, returning to The Masters court. Drusilla stayed pretty much loony-toon's and Spike went from being a 30 year old fledge to a bad ass master to protect them. Spike and Dru are the ones that called the assassins on us" Xander explained.

"How did you manage to not get killed?" Edward looked as troubled as Carlisle and Jasper, probably doing the Jedi-mind probe on the two.

"Lots of running and letting Buffy get her stakage on. Buffy's the Slayer. Plus I think Spike has ADD." Xander rolled his eyes. "It helps I have lots of practice running for my life and general safety. I'm a demon-magnet. Every one seems to want a bite of the Xan-Man." Xander couldn't help the pout. He knew it was a little childish, but it was true. Xander froze as Edward actually growled at that. The Wolves tensing and shifting warily, alert. "Chill out, don't make me hit you with the garlic mace, that shit stinks." Xander wagged his finger as Edward.

"Language!" Esme Chided, frowning. Xander shifted guiltily.

"Sorry Mrs. Cullen." Xander ducked his head, flushing slightly.

"Call me Esme dear." Esme waved off, giving him a warm smile. "So what does that make you, if you don't mind me asking?" She peered at him, her eyes soft and caring. Xander fidgeted.

"Jack thinks I'm some kinda medium, that I soak up all the energies around me and junk. I was possessed twice and they both kinda stuck. Its left them behind, and it looks like its starting to leave some traits too." Xander explained. "Jack thinks their only just starting to show because I was saturated in hellmouth energy, and its starting to naturally dissipate." He lifted a shoulder in a half shrug, trailing off thoughtfully.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Bella was in a state of shock, and Xander really wasn't sure if he'd made the best possible choice with all the truth-fullness. At least, maybe he should have waited to spill the home truths until after Bella had fainted or something. He didn't like the dazed, stunned shadow that crossed Bella's face when she looked at him. He knew it wasn't fun to have the nice human curtain pulled from your eyes and get a full blown introduction to darker side of the world. Unfortunately Bella had already unknowingly been exposed to it.

Charlie hadn't been happy when they'd turned up late for curfew with Carlisle and Edward as chaperone's. Carlisle had had a brief word with Charlie before bidding them all good night. Charlie had made sure they'd had something to eat before sending to bed. He had also grounded them both for a week for not calling them when they'd gone to the Cullens.

Xander remained in the cab of Bella's truck when she parked up in her usual spot out side the school. Tentatively he set his hand on her arm, not liking it when she jumped. She was after all his cousin, and he had to stay with Charlie until he turned eighteen. He waited until she looked at him, giving her arm a gentle squeeze.

"Its not all bad Bella. Some of its good." He promised.

"But its all real, how are you not scared?" She asked softly.

"I still am sometimes. Bella how many people have just wished that all this is real. Yes its dangerous and scary, but so is a drunk driver behind the wheel of a car." Xander pointed out gently. Bella gave a jerky nod. "There's good parts too. Pixies and unicorns they are real too." he gave her a smile. Her lips twitched.

"So its not all bad?" She asked gently.

"Not at all." He promised. He squeezed her arm again in reassurance before letting go and climbing out of the truck.

Shouldering his back pack, he nodded to Bella's friends as he made his way towards the Cullens. He still had a bit of a limp, but his leg was feeling better with every day. The Cullens didn't seem to mind his approach at all and he stopped when he got within a few feet of them, smiling disarmingly at them.

"You have the self-preservation instincts of a lemming Al." Rosalie teased softly, curling into Emmet's side. Xander gave a half shrug.

"I never said I was smart, but Carlisle was right. If he wanted to kill me, he could have done it ages ago." Xander tucked his hands in his pockets.

"You'd ruin our diet." Jasper murmured, a tiny smile twitching at his lips.

"Yup." Xander gave them a grin and patted his chest. "I'm just full of cholesterol." He gave them his patented lopsided grin.

"We should get in, the bell will go soon." Edward tilted his head towards the school.

Xander frowned as Rosalie gave Edward what could only be a very pointed look, but he shook it off as they turned to head inside. Edward waited for him, and Xander fell into step with the mind-reader wordlessly. Before too long, Xander found himself sat in his creative writing class, Alice sat next to him as the teacher laid out the assignment.

It was a little unnerving that once again the Cullen's had done another 180 degree turn. They'd gone from what looked to be potential friends to staying clear of him, and now they where back to looking like potential friends again. He knew intellectually that it was hard making friends with a food group. It was also hard making friends with people who knew nothing about what went bump in the night.

There was silence between him and Alice for all of a minute once they where set off working, then she gave him a big wide smile, flashing lots off teeth. Her amber eyes twinkling merrily.

"So, just how much do you like Edward?" Alice asked softly, giving him a cheeky smile.

"What!" Xander couldn't help the squeak. He shifted as the class as a whole turned to look at him. He looked at his work sheepishly.

"I said." Alice began again, tone soft as she lent closer. "How much do you like Edward?" She repeated quietly, her pen scratching against paper almost absently.

"I dunno, he's O.K I guess." Xander eyed her, shifting in his seat a little. It was one thing to admit that you where kinda not straight in your own head, but to get outright asked about it. Xander had to admit he was a little daunted. Alice giggled.

"I see the future." She told him gently. "Not everyone, but I can see where choices will lead. It makes life a bit boring sometimes, let me tell you." She nudged him gently with her elbow.

"It would. I bet you make a killing predicting football scores." Xander eyed her in amusement, not quite sure whether or not to take it at face value. He was however willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. She gave him a charming grin.

"Not really, Football is a bit too unpredictable." She shrugged gently. "Too many people making two many decisions, and then there's the whole thing where I can't predict what the forces of nature will have on the actual ball. I prefer the stock market." She admitted softly, so low he only just heard her.

Xander eyed her in shock, and just a little awe. That was certainly a talent lots of people would want. Even more would want to abuse it badly. He couldn't help but feel the sympathy.

"It must suck, not knowing if the people that know want to just be your friend, or whether they want to just, get you to predict things for them." He told her gently.

"It can. Carlisle and the others, they never ask me to do anything like that though. They wouldn't. The most they'll ask is whether or not we're in danger." Alice gave him a warm smile. "I can tell, you'd never ask me to abuse it though." She peered at him.

"You can? How do you know I wont try and bribe you, so you'll tell me what I'm getting on my grades or something?" He asked, giving her a nudge to let her know he really was only teasing. She giggled at him.

"I know. I can't see all your choices, but in the ones I see, I can see that you'd never do that." She touched his arm gently. Xander shrugged in his defense.

"Why can't you see all my choices?" Xander frowned, looking at his paper as he tried to think of a poem.

"Because I've never been possessed, so I don't know how that impacts some of your decisions. The ones where your thinking like a proper human, I can see, but the ones that are influenced, even slightly are clouded." Alice shrugged. "Its why i can't predict what the Wolves on the Res will do. I've never been one of them. I've been a Human and I am a vampire." She trailed off.

"I think I get it." Xander nodded, still looking at his blank page.

"Go with sunlight. It will be so much better than the ones you try to write on anything else." She offered with a brilliant smile. Xander blinked, giving her a thankful smile.

He concentrated on the topic she'd suggested, lapsing into a comfortable silence as they worked. He was mildly surprised to find that he didn't have the need to fill the silence with inane chatter or babble. In all honesty, as they worked, the lesson seemed to fly by. The hour broken up with odd smatterings of idle chatter between them. All too soon, he was packing his stuff away and leaving the class with Alice at his side.

It set the tone for the day, and for the first time in a long while, Xander found himself actually enjoying school again. It wasn't as bad as when he would goof off and learn nothing with Jessie, or chatter with Buffy and Willow, ending up so confused he was ready to quit school as a whole.

All to soon, he was back in Bella's Truck and on his way home.

That thought brought Xander up short. It was the first time he'd honestly thought of the Swan residence as home, and it didn't feel bad. He hadn't had to correct himself to thinking of it as his new home, it just was home. For the first time since being released from the hospital, Xander didn't feel the overwhelming need or want to secrete himself in his room out of both Bella and Charlie's way. It was comfortable to just lounge in front of the T.V with Bella getting caught up on the shows that where on. He was even more surprised when Bella flicked it on to Star Trek for him before she pulled out her home work.

Following her example, Xander for the first time in his life, did his homework not only the same day he got it. He did it without getting badgered by Willow, and he got it all finished before Star trek finished. It was a small accomplishment, but one he was proud of. Maybe he would be able to do the whole school thing after all. He'd be able to prove to Giles that he could be better than the box he'd backed himself into. It left him with a warm feeling and a good mood. He even felt like he'd be able to get through being grounded without a problem either.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Edward eyed the house in front of him, he wasn't exactly sure of Rosalie's plan to insert himself into Xander's life. Yes he was spurred on by the fact that Xander thought he was at the very least attractive, but he wasn't sure if this was the correct way about getting Xander. His knuckles clenched on the steering wheel. There was a downside to being in that house too, he'd be surrounded by not only Xander's scent but he'd be confronted by the scent of his singer as well.

Steeling himself, he climbed out of his car and peered up at the house. Even from here he could hear the television playing some game. He could hear the soft relaxed heartbeats of three humans. Thankfully he had picked a time when the Black's wouldn't be around. Making his way to the door, and knocking before he could change his mind, he wondered again if this was the right thing. He heard the heavier footsteps of an adult male approach as he waited, crossing his arms. Charlie was the one to open the door, a mist of mingled scents drifting from the home.

"I was wondering if it would be O.K to talk to Xander." He looked at Charlie as the man frowned at him.

"He's grounded, he won't be going anywhere." Charlie answered. Edward could easily hear Charlie's mental musings on why he was here, and what Xander had done to garner his attention.

"I understand. I just thought I'd keep him company. He said I could look at some of his books." Edward offered as politely as he could.

"Dr. Cullen didn't send you to keep an eye on him did he?" Charlie arched a brow.

"It may have been mentioned. Carlisle doesn't like that Xander's pushing himself so soon." Edward expressed, trying for a sheepish look. Charlie rolled his eyes, mostly in amusement but stepped aside, waving him in.

The house stank of dog, probably since the Black's spent so much time with Charlie and Bella. Edward followed Charlie as the human led him to where Xander was sat at a table with Bella as he showed his cousin something in a fairly old looking book.

"I never knew kids these days liked the ghost stories so much." Charlie grunted.

Both teens looked up startled, obviously having been engrossed. Xander gave Charlie a sheepish smile and a shrug before pointedly looking at Edward.

"I may have to start my own historical club." Xander shook it off, waving Edward over to the table.

A little uncomfortable, Edward complied, slipping onto the seat next to Xander and giving Charlie a nod of thanks. Bella was looking at him, eying him as if he was about to sprout fangs and leap across the table. Xander however slid a large tome towards him all three ignoring Charlie as the man left to go watch whatever sport was on the T.V.

"I hope to hell you can read Sumerian." Xander looked at Edward, amused.

The short fractured snippets Edward could hear gave nothing of Xander's actual thoughts away. Xander and his 'peanut gallery' were all thinking very loudly about Twinkies. Since he didn't actually have an idea what Twinkies were, Edward made mental note to look them up. He did however allow himself to frown at Xander.

"Sumerian?" Edward blinked.

"Yeah. That's the one with the Seven childer myth in, but its written in Sumerian." Xander then pushed a textbook towards him.

On the front of the text book where the words 'Sumerian For Dummies'. Edward could only blink at the two books. He looked at Xander in shock, not just over the fact Xander knew something about a long dead ancient language, but that he'd somehow managed to find a 'Dummy' book translation guide.

"You can read Sumerian?" Bella interrupted. Edward couldn't help the small wince.

Unfortunately, Bella was one of the humans that had a tone to their voice. It was unnoticeable to human hearing, but some humans had a quality to their voice that made Edward's teeth itch. Bella had that tone.

"Me read Sumerian?" Xander snorted in amusement. "Not at all. I know just enough to be able to read some keywords. I have to use the translation guide just like Edward is gonna' have to." Xander told Bella.

Edward wasn't really sure whether or not he liked the darkly amused smile Xander got on his face at that. Dutifully however, he flicked open the translation guide and began to read. If he read the translation guide first, his almost crystal clear perfect recall would allow him to translate the book Xander had given him to read.

"He's not gonna rip your throat out Bella." Xander assured his cousin.

Edward looked away from the page to where Bella was still watching him like a rabbit would watch a fox, Xander's tone was filled with trust and a hint of warning. Edward couldn't help the frown. The teen had only just learned what Edward and the others were, and he'd fought another kind of vampire in his home town. Edward had thought there would be more mistrust and wariness than Xander was showing.

"How are you so sure?" Edward couldn't help but ask. Xander really was a strange one. Strange, intriguing and more than enough of a puzzle to make Edward salivate. If he had the bodily functions to salivate that was.

Xander eyed him a moment, as if judging Edward's intentions with the information. Xander's mind had gone almost silent, nothing but a little hum of something that Edward couldn't quite make out. After what felt like an eternity of Xander eying him, weighing him up Xander finally spoke.

"Because you've had lots of opportunity to snack on not just me but everyone else in town. There are lots of ways to get around pesky humans hunting you down if you felt like going for the mass bloody slaughter. Then there's the fact that while you still could probably kill me, I'd still do what ever I could to make you regret a wholesale slaughter. I'm very good with the sneaky." Xander told him. Throughout his whole speech, his voice remained even. A promise and a threat at the same time.

Edward didn't know whether or not to be appalled, amused or just plain attracted to the back bone of solid steel the teen seemed to possess. He settled for attracted with a smidgen of amused, inclining his head at the sort of logic Xander possessed.

"Fair enough." He murmured.

Bella didn't seem particularly reassured though, and within moments, she excused herself to escape to her room. Edward could smell the slight tang of guilt that coloured Xander's usually delectable scent.

"Sorry, She's still adjusting." Xander apologized on his cousins behalf. "Learning about all this stuff, its never fun." he added softly. Edward nodded.

He hadn't believed anything like this could exist, he'd thought it was just his own species of Vampire and the Wolves that lived on the reservation. He was hit by the fact that it was rather naive of him. How many strange things had he written off as coincidence, or dismissed altogether. He wondered if it was possible for Vampires and other creatures to have the sort of blindness Xander accused most humans of having. It was more than a little humbling to know that a sixteen year old male human knew more about all this from two years of fighting it, than Edward knew after a hundred years of being it.

"It gets better." Xander offered him a rather endearing lop-sided grin, eyes twinkling as if Xander himself had just developed the ability to read minds and had heard every bit of Edwards internal monologue.

"I hope so." Edward nodded, giving Xander a smile of his own.

Edward could feel the difference to the smile he gave Xander immediately. It wasn't the stiff one he gave humans when playing among them, it wasn't the sad sort of smile he gave his family. Edward could feel it, it was a genuine smile. It didn't hurt, it wasn't hard to do. He relaxed into the corner, dropping his eyes down to the page. Maybe he could do this after all, maybe he could woo Xander.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Xander had a theory, it wasn't an unfounded theory but a theory none the less. His theory was that he may have been unofficially adopted into the Cullen clan. He ran the planing tool down the shaft of wood again as he shaped the cast off bit of wood into an almost square elongated pyramid. It would eventually become a stake, maybe a fancy tool for Buffy's impending birthday. His eyes flicked to the very large lump of Vampire sat next to him.

Xander had entered the shop class and taken his assigned seat, less than five seconds after he'd sat down, Emmet had unceremoniously plonked his butt on the stool next to his. The teacher had taken one look, opened his mouth, and then promptly snapped it shoot - courtesy of the rather daring glare Emmet had shot the teacher. This of course gave some evidence to Xander's growing theory that maybe the Cullen's were unofficially adopting him.

Running the planing tool once more down the side of the slowly forming stake, Xander flicked the curled wood shaving away, flicking his eyes again to Emmet. To be honest with himself, the big honking slab of Immortal Vampire was just a little bit intimidating. Even if said Immortal Vampire was working hard, tongue poked between teeth in utter concentration as he tried to fit two pieces of thin doweling rod together in the correct place without breaking the delicate wood.

Taking pity on the hulking vampires inability to wield the two pieces of wood with he delicacy they needed, Xander set his stake project down and stole the offending wood from the dark haired Vampire's grasp. Without the problem of the big guys super-strength on Steroids problem, Xander slotted the two rods into the frame. From what Xander could see, it would make some sort of decorative mechanical piece maybe.

"Thanks." Emmet shook his head in amusement, taking his project back easily enough.

"Welcome." Xander flashed the Vampire a small grin, returning to his own project, planing down the now hard, sharp corners.

"Whats with the stake?" Emmet inclined his head to Xander's project.

"Present for Buffy's birthday." Xander grunted softly. "Hopefully, if she has a pretty enough stake, she might learn not to leave it in the vamps and let it get dusted. It's hell on the non-existent weapon budget." Xander offered with a shrug. Emmet gave him a funny look.

"I'm pretty sure your a little south of cuckoo." Emmet observed with a friendly teasing tone.

"Oh I'm sure. You've gotta be nuts just to keep some sort of sanity on the ol' Hellmouth." Xander smirked at Emmet. Emmet's eyebrow arched.

"That's an oxymoron." Emmet pointed out with a grin. Xander found himself liking Emmet a bit more.

"I'll have you know I resemble that remark!" Xander waved the stake with a small grin of his own. Emmet let out an amused chuckle, shaking his head.

"I was wondering." Emmet began, lowering his voice and leaning closer. "Rosalie said you used Dynamite?" He asked softly, Xander nodded in agreement. "Where the hell did you get it, and why would you carry it around?" Emmet blinked at him curiously before sitting up.

"I got it when we raided a nest, they'd stolen it from the construction sight that mysteriously disappeared after they uncovered something." Xander explained softly, keeping an eye out for would be eavesdroppers. "The reason I carry some around is because well, have you ever tried to kill a one tonne demon made of purple snot?" Xander asked Emmet. The big vampire gave a disbelieving snort, but shook his head in the negative. "Trust me, its not pretty. It took three hours to lure that thing to the closest gas station and burn it." Xander shook his head, shuddering at the memory of That particular mess. "I'd much rather have dynamite and not need it, than need it and not have it." Xander finished with a wise tone.

"You know that sounds unbelievable right, a purple snot monster." Emmet shook his head, turning his attention back to his project.

"That's actually a lot easier on the mind than Cid the Dummy. That thing still gives me nightmares." Xander shuddered at the memory of the doll. If that had been a Chucky doll, well Xander would have been well on his way to somewhere far away. Like Mars. Tackelberry gave a agreeing mental shudder at the thought of a Chucky-Cid hybrid doll.

"I'm pretty sure I don't wanna know." Emmet grunted, catching the look on Xander's face.

"It was just this thing with a human hunting brotherhood of organ eating demons." Xander waved it off dismissively. "That's not even a blip on the shit-o-meter." Xander added with a shrug.

He was right, it wasn't really, but Cid had a missive Wig factor going for him. Seriously an animated doll that hit on everything with breasts and hid under the beds of teenaged students was definitely on the creepy scale. Xander gave another shudder before focusing on his project once again. He had the small dilemma of not only what to carve into what would be the handle, but how to carve it. He frowned a moment before shaking it off, concentrating on getting the pointy end the right sort of pointy before sanding it.

"Do you like sports?" Emmet asked offhandedly.

"Sports?" Xander blinked. "I so do not do dodgeball, not after the whole hyena and ganging up on Wills." Xander gave another shudder. He may not want to get all kissy with Willow, but she was still his Willow-Girl. His Sister. "Me and football are rather unmixy too. I tend to rub jocks the wrong way...and that sounded rather dirty." Xander blinked. Emmet let out a deep booming laugh of amusement.

"Other than that, I have no idea." Xander continued, ignoring the startled looks both the teacher and the other students where shooting their way.

"Think you might be interested in baseball? I've got a bet with Jazz, I think you could probably play with us once your all better, Jazz thinks you might be too normal." Emmet eyed him thoughtfully.

"Erm..." Xander blinked, he didn't know whether or not to be flattered Emmet thought he'd be able to play against Immortal Vampire's, or offended Jasper thought he couldn't. He shrugged. "I'll give it a go." Xander offered. That was the best he could do after all.

Xander couldn't help the wince as Emmet gave him a friendly clap on the shoulder. It was probably what the big guy considered a gentle tap, but it still caused Xander to pitch forward a bit, the air knocked from his lungs. Emmet steadied him sheepishly.

"Sorry dude." He very gently patted the abused area in apology.

"No worries. Buffy does it all the time. That girl does not know her own strength." Xander offered Emmet a grin, letting him know he harboured no ill feelings. He gingerly rotated his shoulder. "But yeah, I'll play." He repeated.

"Cool." Emmet rubbed his hands together. "We should have even teams now." He mused, more to himself than Xander.

Xander thought it wise not to mention that he'd most likely be more of a liability to any team and it would make it even less than even. Handicapped rather.

They worked together until it was time to pack away, then headed out as the lunch bell rang. They made their way by silent agreement to the cafeteria, Rosalie joining them less than half a minute later, curling into Emmet's side as he threw an arm around her. Alice danced out from her drama class to join them, Edward appearing from the stair-well and falling into step next to Xander. Finally, Jasper calmly intercepted them as they hit the corridor for the cafeteria.

Xander was once again hit by the notion that he may be in the process of being unofficially adopted by the Cullen's. Edward gave him an amused look and Xander couldn't help but elbow the eternal-teen in the side as he limped along.

"Watch what thoughts you read Xavier, or it wont be pretty." Xander warned, more amused than anything. Edward actually laughed and herded him to the Cullen's usual table.

"Shouldn't you still be using your crutches?" Edward changed the subject easily, looking pointedly to the leg Xander still had trouble comfortably bending.

"Yeah, yeah, you sound like Charlie, Bella and Carlisle." Xander waved, his nose wrinkled at the list of names. Edward snorted, putting his hand on Xander's shoulder and pinning him in place as Xander tried to stand.

"I'll get you lunch. Carlisle is going to have a hissy fit if you walk on that leg too much." Edward shook his head. Xander blinked, then shrugged, relaxing in the seat.

Apparently satisfied he'd stay, Edward moved off to get food, Rosalie sitting next to him and looking over the room like a Queen taking a good look at her court. Her eyes narrowed occasionally, her head tilting to the side as she eavesdropped on some of the conversations going on around her.

"Problem?" Xander asked, unable to help the small frown.

"Nothing really, just nosy jealous humans wondering how you got into our little circle." Rosalie offered him an amused smile. Xander rolled his eyes at that. "When will you be allowed out?" She asked after a pause.

"We got a week, but I think Charlie said we could be sprung early for good behavior." Xander answered.

"Find out. Esme wants to have you over for supper." Rosalie ordered. Xander blinked and Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Your not going to be the supper Al." She sighed exasperatedly.

"I didn't think I would be, I'd ruin your diet. I was just wondering why she'd go to all that trouble just for me." Xander frowned, choosing to ignore the nickname, barely resisting the cringe.

"Because she likes you. Most of us do, surprisingly. There's something...Endearing about you." Rosalie stated bluntly, eying him like a shiny bug and she was wondering why a bug got the pretty shiny stuff when it was just a bug.

Xander shifted at that - not quite sure what to say to it, instead he looked up as the others returned with trays of cafeteria food. He took the tray Edward offered him with a thanks, nose wrinkling at the large amount of greenery piled on his plate. He gave Edward a grim look.

"Its good for you." Edward shrugged, ignoring his own tray.

"It's rabbit food. Xander's are not rabbits." Xander pulled a face, teasing the roughage with his fork, trying to see if there was anything edible under it.

"No, but salad's are good for humans." Edward blinked. Xander eyed the table, noting that the vampires had a wide range of food that they wouldn't eat. The rather large burger on Rosalie's plate looked rather appetizing, as did the fries Emmet had, dripping with melted cheese. He narrowed his eyes at Edward.

"Salads maybe good for humans, but Xander's do not like Salads, and have been known to go to great length to avoid eating of said green stuff." Xander told Edward pointedly. "I can call Wills, she'll tell you. A Xander needs specific care and feeding, and lots and lots of Twinkies." Xander pointed his fork at Edward, then went digging in the green stuff again. Sighing heavily, he grabbed the ketchup in the middle of the table, and proceeded to empty half the bottle onto the evil demonic vegetables.

The Vampires looked at him in shock as he stirred the salad around until it was all liberally coated in the sticky red stuff. Stabbing a bit of cucumber on his fork, he brought it to his lip and took a very tentative nibble, pulling a face at the taste. This time he grabbed the mustard. Thankfully, before he had to continue on his quest to make the roughage edible, Edward swapped their plates, setting down the plate with a rather nice pile of spaghetti and meatballs in front of Xander.

"That was gross." Alice pulled a face, nose wrinkled daintily. Xander shrugged, already rather invested in demolishing the spaghetti and meatballs.

Xander had to admit they where much better than the messy goop the dinner ladies at Sunnydale tried to pass off as food. He hummed happily to himself as he chewed, eying the meatball thoughtfully as he chewed. It even tasted like meat, proper meat that is. Stuffing the meatball in his mouth, he had to admit that more than once, he'd believed that the dinner ladies where feeding them some form of demon meat. He still shuddered at the memory of the eyeball in the middle of one of his once loved sloppy-Joe's.

Xander polished the plate off with relative ease, washing it down with the orange juice still on his tray. Hopefully, his days of possibly demonic meat in school food where over. He frowned at the looks the Cullen's where giving him, eying him and his plate in shock.

"What?" He asked checking his chin for drips of sauce.

"Do your funky medium powers include food vacuuming?" Emmet asked, slightly amazed. Xander snorted softly, but accepted the plate of cheesy fries Emmet offered.

"Nope, that's all original me. I'm a growing boy." Xander shrugged, starting in on the fries. "If you think I can pack it away, Buffy can pack twice as much away in a sitting. Willow gets the funniest looks when we have eating contests." Xander told them with a small grin.

"You talk about them a lot, Willow and Buffy." Edward tilted his head in curiosity, Xander blinked.

"Well yeah. " Xander nodded once. "Their my girls, my bestest bud's." Xander offered, a sad look crossing his face as a wave of home sickness passed over him.

"I'm sure Chief Swan will let you visit them." Jasper told him gently, and a wave of soothing optimism rolled over him. Xander nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, he's already said I can visit for Buffy's birthday party." Xander smiled, feeling better.

He may not be able to see his girls everyday anymore, but it didn't mean he'd lose all contact with them. After all, they could talk on the phone, Bella had said he could borrow her laptop to email them, and he'd be able to visit. Xander felt much better at that.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Adjusting to life in Forks wasn't as hard as Xander had though it would be. In fact it was rather easy to be honest. There was no Oogily boogily of the week to slay, and he was left in general peace by Charlie as the police chief let him adjust to his new life. It was almost calming in a way, like a holiday from the badness that had been the Hellmouth. If he were honest with himself, he even felt much better than he had in years, despite the fact he was still healing of course.

He wondered if it had been the mystical radiation the hellmouth let off, that had made him feel so...rotten. Of course, he hadn't really felt rotten while living in Sunnydale. Now that he was off the hellmouth and far away from its influence, he felt so much better than he could remember. He felt healthier, more stable in himself. He felt good.

He still got the wiggins from the fact he'd been assimilated into the cool population. Xander wasn't sure he had actually made the transition to cools-ville, but Alice and Rosalie assured him he had, if just by association. How weird was that though, that the one thing he'd tried to get all his young life, had been handed to him just by moving and being himself.

According to Bella and Mike, Xander had gathered a bit of a bad-ass reputation. That came form two things, Knocking Mike flat on his ass when he'd been escaping the hospital, that had been bolstered by his leaving school campus halfway through the day without permission or even letting anyone but his cousin know. Xander wasn't exactly sure as to why this got him bad-ass points, but apparently it did.

His cool points of course came from the fact he'd managed what no other teen in Forks could, he'd got himself in with the Cullen's. Those points where bolstered exponentially (at least according to Alice) by the fact he wasn't afraid to snark and give Rosalie back as good as she gave. The first time someone had tried to call her Rosie like he did, Rosalie had verbally torn the poor git to shreds in front of the gym class.

To be honest, Xander was even more clueless about school politics when he he had cool points, than he was when he was at the bottom of the cool scale. He wondered if there was some sort of high school politics for dummies out there somewhere, unfortunately he knew there wouldn't be. It such a bible did exist, there would be no real politics in school, everyone would be relatively the same notch. That of course would lead to High school wars across the globes as every teen fought tooth and nail to be the bloody victor and claim superiority. Of course it wasn't much different at the moment, people still fought tooth and nail, but at least it was structured and only rarely did it actually resort to actual bloodshed.

Xander frowned as he thought himself into a circle, to be frank with himself, he was thinking about anything and everything apart from his current companion. Edward was sat in the car next to him, escorting him to the supper Esme was preparing for him. He still wasn't sure why she;d go to all the trouble since non of her family actually ate food. He couldn't get out of it unfortunately. For some reason actual motherly figures scared the crap out of him. Joyce still scared him witless, even though he loved her to bits. Maybe it was because he didn't know how to react to it, or how to take the genuine concern. His own mother wasn't exactly winning even a mediocre mother award. She couldn't give him more than a passing insult, there was no way she'd give anyone else any motherly concern. He wasn't really sure how some mothers had the ability to care about not just their own children, but other children.

"Relax." Edward grunted.

Xander shot the eternal-teen a small glare at that, it wasn't as if he could just relax. it was hard to relax when his brain was doing the deep thoughts. Xander almost jumped when a cool hand touched his knee, his thoughts doing a complete on 180 degree turn. He was pretty sure that Edward's hand on his knee constituted as naughty touching. His body was agreeing whole hearted. Edward gave his knee a gentle squeeze before letting go.

Xander swallowed thickly, because even though the girls had touched his knee before, it certainly hadn't made him have a reaction anywhere near close to what was happening now. He could still feel the touch of Edwards hand against his knee, the skin beginning to grow warm. Yep, he was really beginning to agree with his body and was very close to finally giving up and just jumping on the gay train. Or at the very least, going for a trip on the bi-bus. Spot shook her head at him. He pointedly ignored her, instead, forcing himself to focus on the Cullen house as it appeared in his view.

He tried to steel his nerves as Edward parked the car, taking a deep breath as he climbed out. Edward shot him another amused smile as he led him up to the house. Yes He knew he was more nervous tonight than he had been meeting a clan of potentially deadly, people eating demons. He knew he shouldn't be nervous, but he couldn't help it, it was one of them things. The more he tried to calm down, the more nervous he got, so he was just letting himself be nervous.

He could smell the food before the front door even opened, the delicious smell of beef and some sort of garlic herby sauce wafted out, teasing his senses and making his stomach growl. Edward chuckled, opening the door and ushering him inside. If the smell outside the house had been delicious, the smell inside made Xander want to bow to the food gods, because really, it smelled heavenly.

"Glad you could make it Al." Rosalie poked her head out of what Xander vaguely remembered as the living room.

"And leave you lovely ladies waiting for me to grace you with my presence Rosie, even I'm not that mean." Xander gave her a sickly sweet grin, and was rewarded by a genuinely amused laugh that Rosalie couldn't contain. The statuesque blond shook her head before disappearing back into the living room.

Edward placed his hand on the base of Xander's spine and guided Xander into the living room, and really a touch like that should not have been as...erotic as it actually felt. Xander reserved to have another lengthy conversation with his body about appropriate times. Unfortunately Xander got the feeling it would blatantly ignore him like it had all the other times. He felt a small blush at Edward's gentle chuckle, sitting on the offered seat as he tried to change his thoughts.

"I have to ask, what do you think about that make Edward so amused?" Jasper looked up from his book, Xander absently recognized it as the paladin codex, the one he'd lent to the Cullen's to further their foray into the world of monsters and ghoulies.

"I don't know, stuff. There's lots of stuff in my head!" Xander defended, feeling his blush deepen at the squeak he herd in his own tone.

"He has a vivid imagination." Edward offered his siblings, and if Xander didn't know any better, he would have said the vampire sounded both proud and pleased.

"How do you know that?" Xander eyed Edward thoughtfully.

Xander already knew he imagined lots of things, it was one of his favorite things to do when he was bored. Like the time he imagined the students in gym class were Loonytoon cartoons. Buffy really did not suit blond bunny ears that was for sure. Edward snorted, biting his lip to fight the laugh. Xander narrowed his eyes at Edward.

"She really doesn't suit Bunny ears." Edward agreed, amber eyes twinkling with suppressed laughter.

"Well no, her face is all wrong for it." Xander nodded, grinning at Edward. "But I thought you had trouble reading my thoughts?" Xander asked.

Edward nodded, a thoughtful look crossing his face. Edward seemed to be struggling with a way to actually explain what he wanted to, but after a moment, he nodded to himself.

"When you think, its like a conversation in your head that's broken with static. I only get some words, broken bits of mental conversation with your...'Peanut gallery' usually." Edward eyed Xander. "When you imagine something...like the Jerry springer show...I can actually see it clear as day." Edward offered.

Xander frowned as he tried to place the memory of that, it took him a moment, and he couldn't help the flush as he remembered it. He so did not suit being pregnant. Edward grinned in amusement again, unable to help himself.

"That sounds juicy!" Alice bounced in her seat. Xander felt his blush threaten to take over his whole face.

"Spot made me think of it." Xander defended himself sheepishly. "She wouldn't stop going on about pups and stuff and well, if she could she really would find away to make me have little hybrid hyena cubs and really that would be a whole thing worthy of Springer." Xander babbled, trying to defend himself. At the amusement on every ones face, Xander had the impression he'd dug a small hole for himself. He tipped his head up to the ceiling. "Shoot me, stuff me, mount me." He muttered shaking his head.

"None of that, supper is nearly ready." Esme strode in, wiping her hands on a towel. She had a streak of red sauce on her cheek, and flour in her hair.

Xander had to admit, that the look suited her. She gave the impression of a woman who just wanted to mother people. Xander could see her being in heaven if she had a few young children to raise and dote on.

"How did you guess that?" Edward frowned at him, head tilted to the side. Xander still couldn't get used to that, instead he just looked at Edward in confusion, waiting for clarification. "You seem to instinctively know people." Edward explained.

"I do?" Xander frowned. He didn't agree with that.

"You do, and its right, you've got Esme and Rosalie dead to rights. your observation of their personalities are exemplary." Edward eyed him thoughtfully.

"i just see whats there." Xander shrugged. "Unless their really an ancient mummy or a giant bug in disguise." Xander offered, he shuddered at the thought of both the praying mantis lady, and Ampata.

"Huh?" Emmet blinked.

"There was this praying mantis lady that disguised herself as a really pretty teacher and wanted me to fertilize her eggs before she ate me." Xander shuddered at the memory, it was just another reason why he hated bugs. "And Ampata was an Inca princess that got sacrificed, and when some dweeb woke her up she had to suck the life force out of people so she'd stop being all mummy-ish, it wasn't really her fault, but..." Xander trailed off. They all looked at him undisguised shock. "What, its not my fault if demons all wanna get all frisky then eat me." Xander held his hands up. "Or eat me in general. I don't really think I am a demon magnet." He added sheepishly.

"That's kind of messed up." Rosalie wrinkled her nose. "Just how many demons have tried to mate with you?" She arched an eyebrow.

Xander mentally tallied that up, of course there was the Praying mantis, and Ampata was sure looking to want to go that way, then there had been that very slutty ho bag of a vampire that seemed way more interested in humping him than biting him. There was the other teens that had gotten hyena whammied, but he wasn't really sure if they counted. The invisible girl had certainly had a good grope before she'd locked him in the room to suffocate, and there was no way in hell he was going to go anywhere near the lime green tentacle monster that had been way too grabby and slimy.

"A few," He shrugged weakly, Rosalie arched a delicate eyebrow in disbelief, and she wasn't the only one.

"where any of them at least pretty?" Emmet asked, Xander nodded.

Ampata had been pretty before she'd gone all mummified on him, and so had Miss French, before she'd taken off the human suit. Heidi and Rhonda weren't that bad on the eyes either, and if he was going to be honest with himself, Tor and Kyle weren't too shabby either. So yeah, at least not all of them had been too bad all of the time.

"That's something at least." Emmet grunted at Xander's nod. "I wonder what demons actually taste like..." He mused.

"Not of the nice." Xander shuddered, remembering the cafeterias Demonic sloppy Joe's and meat surprise. "There is no way I'm going near that one without serious therapy." he told the honestly at the curious looks, and he wasn't. He liked being able to eat, and if he continued to repress, he'd still be able to enjoy his favorite foods.

"O.K then, I'll just go set supper out." Esme smiled at him. Xander nodded, still hungry. He wondered if Esme's cooking tasted as good as it smelled.

Spike shifted on the bed as he indulgently watched his dark princess twirl about the room. There was something opulently beautiful about his wicked plum. She looked as radiant as the day she had turned him, healthy and whole thanks to the ritual. He dropped his eyes to his still healing leg. The slayer bitch had done a number on him, and if it hadn't been for the minions over whelming the Slayers white-hat brigade, he very nearly could have been irreparably injured when that bloody organ came crashing down. As it where, he'd been extremely lucky to escape with just a crushed leg. Another day or two's rest and a few more nasty bints and he'd be right as rain.

He ran his eyes over Drusilla as she twirled again, watching the deep burgundy velvet twirl around her legs, her bare feet stained red with the blood from the two little boys laying dead in the corner. Spike made a mental note to have the trash thrown out before it started to stink. He just hope his wicked plum didn't want to keep them, decomposing corpses tended to smell a place right out.

Lighting up another cigarette, Spike inhaled the thick bluish-grey smoke, savoring the warm tingle that rushed through his chest, the itching burn in his lungs as it curled inside him. Exhaling, he just lay there a moment, enjoying his good fortune. His plot had worked, the assassins had held the stupid bint and her band up long enough to get the job done, and his princess was whole and well. It was almost a true joy to watch her dancing around the room, stolen blood flushing her cheeks just a hint for the first time since that stupid-arse mob had hurt his wicked plum. Hid fingers twitched at the memory.

He sat up as Drusilla froze, a low moan of anguish building in her chest. He didn't try to stand, knowing it would be useless, instead he extended his hand to her.

"Dru luv, c'mon pet." He spoke softly, keeping his tone gentle and soothing as he watched her.

"Oh Spikey..." Drusilla moaned, turning to him hands clutched to her bosom as if holding something precious. "Its all changing, My Kitten sparkles." Drusilla keened softly, raising her hands to her temples, but she took a step towards him.

"Your kitten luv?" Spike frowned. He hadn't herd her mention her kitten before.

"Oh my poor Spike, the Kitten was hurt, so they sent him away, now the stone-ones have him and I shan't get to play." Drusilla let out a whimper, hands dropping to her side as she swayed, still looking to the ceiling, and the bright day-filled sky that would be above them. "Steal him for me Spike." She murmured, slowly dropping her eyes to him. "Will you steal back my Kitten Spike?" She asked hopefully, looking him with an unshielded hope, such human emotion for a Vampire to have, but that was neither here nor there.

"If you want a kitten luv, I'll get you a kitten." Spike promised her, she gave him such a brilliant smile, it was almost like seeing the sunrise.

"He'll becoming home soon, we must have a party." Drusilla stalked towards him, eyes hooded. Spike nodded. "And i know just the guests to invite." she purred, gathering her skirts and climbing onto the bed next to him.

Drusilla's eyes drifted to his still healing leg, and before Spike could shift her attention, she dug her fingers into the ragged torn flesh. Spike let loose a howl of agony, straining on the bed. The whole factory rippling with the noise.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Christmas was coming up fast, Xander couldn't believe just how fast. On the 1st of December, Bella had been almost manic as she decked the house with green, red and gold trimmings. Charlie had been pouted into stringing brightly lit coloured lights in all the windows, and then getting a big tree that stood in the corner by the fire-place.

It was almost alien to him, just how much of themselves some people threw into Christmas. The most his parents had ever done to get ready for Christmas was to swap their gin for eggnog for a day or two. Even the Cullen's where in on the Christmas cheer it seemed. The moment it became acceptable to do anything with a Christmas theme, Emmet had begun wearing Christmas themed sweaters and shirts. Just the other day, he'd shown up to school in a neon green shirt with reindeer's with flashing L.E.D red noses.

The only experience he actually had with Christmas type goings on was when he and willow had been invited over to Jessie's. Willow was Jewish, so neither of them had had very much actual experience with Christmas. He hadn't really known what Christmas was until one night, he'd been forgotten about when his parents had wandered off to bed and passed out. He'd stayed up all night, watching T.V. That's what had started his love affair with Snoopy. Then next year, he'd started kindergarten and met Willow, starting the traditional Snoopy Christmas party.

He could still remember the first Christmas present he'd gotten. A tan stuffed bear, only about five inches tall. It had been from Jessie, when Jessie's mom had looked after him one night.

Xander felt that he was justified in his near fear of all the manic cheer about Forks, it just wasn't normal to him. He'd never actually seen people so manic about it, he'd always missed Jessie's family gearing up for Christmas so he had no real personal experience with it. Shuddering as Bella ran passed his door again, Xander decided retreat was in order. Grabbing his jacket, he gingerly made his way passed Bella before making his way down the stairs. He was at the door before he was stopped.

"Where are you going Xan?" Charlie asked getting up from the couch.

"I'm not sure, I thought I'd just go for a walk, maybe go and bug Edward." Xander shrugged, looking up at his uncle. He shifted on his feet.

"I'll drive you." Charlie offered, grabbing his jacket and keys.

"You don't have to, I can walk." Xander shrugged, feeling a little awkward.

"It's fine. We should really see about getting you your own set of wheels." Charlie pulled his jacket on and ushered him out side. Xander followed, eyes wide.

"Uncle Charlie, its not that I don't appreciate the thought, but I cant even afford a clunker." Xander offered, huddling into his coat as the frigid air outside the house washed over him.

"Well it's a thought." Charlie grunted, unlocking the doors to his squad car. Xander climbed in, rubbing his cold hands together. He settled himself in the passenger seat, thankful when charlie turned the engine on, the heater starting up and beginning to warm up. "There's something I wanted to ask you." Charlie grunted again, putting the car in reverse and pulling out of the drive. "Seat belt." he added. Xander dutifully put his belt on.

"What did you want to ask?" Xander shifted in his seat, pulling his sleeves down over his hands.

"Do you...like...other guys?" Charlie asked, trying for a kind of friendly, non judgmental kind of tone. Xander felt his eyes widen. "Only, Bella mentioned something in passing, and it made me think..." He trailed off.

"Would it be a problem if I did?" Xander tried to keep his tone even. Charlie looked at him in shock.

"No of course not. It's not about the gender you like, it's about the person inside that matters." Charlie told him honestly. Xander blinked, peering at Charlie for a few long moments. Charlie fidgeted a little as he drove, opening his mouth. "I know you don't know me well enough yet, but your family. I just want you to be careful and not rush into things. I want you to be...safe." Charlie told him gruffly. Xander couldn't help but warm up a little bit more to Charlie. The man was genuinely concerned for him.

"I think I might like guys more than the girls." Xander admitted quietly, deciding Charlie deserved actual truth. "I mean, I'm leaning more to liking guys to liking girls." Xander sighed softly.

"It's O.K to like guy's Xander. I just want you to promise me you wont rush into anything, and you'll be careful." Charlie peered at him.

"I promise." Xander agreed softly after a pause.

"Good lad." Charlie nodded, relaxing in his seat as he turned on to the road that would take them to the Cullen's home. They lapsed into silence as Charlie drove.

Once again, Xander didn't feel the overwhelming need to fill the quiet with inane useless babble. It was a good feeling, not to be worried about the lull of quiet that broke up fights. He held his hands against the radiator as they got into view of the Cullen home. Xander hoped they didn't mind him dropping by. He gave Charlie a thankful smile as the car slid to a stop just beside the Cullen's drive. Charlie put a hand on his arm as he unbuckled his belt, waiting until Xander had looked at him to speak.

"I'm sorry if I pried, are we ok?" Charlie asked softly. Xander blinked, shocked that Charlie cared if he'd overstepped some sort of boundary.

"Yeah we're fine." Xander nodded, giving his uncle his patented lop-sided grin. Charlie flashed him a small smile before nodding, appeased.

"Give me a call when your ready to come home, and I'll come pick you up." Charlie ordered, reaching behind him to grab something off the back seat. Xander frowned as Charlie pulled the slim black cane into the front. "And use this." He ordered. Xander couldn't help but perse his lips.

"Bella ratted me out didn't she?" Xander guessed, taking the cane with a glower.

"Xander, I've noticed the way you limp, the wincing when you think no-ones looking." Charlie offered gently. "You don't have to be strong and hide here, we can be strong for you if you need us to be." Charlie grunted, looking at his steering wheel, uncomfortable. Xander blinked rapidly as his eyes grew hot and started to itch.

"Thanks..."Xander whispered hoarsely, not quite sure what he needed to thank Charlie for, but knowing he needed to thank Charlie.

"We're family, and that does mean something Xander." Charlie promised. Xander gave a shaky nod, not sure what to say. "Go on, at least one of us can escape Bella the jingle monster." Charlie gave a forced chuckle. Xander nodded.

"I'll see you then at home." Xander popped the door open, cane in hand. "See you later Cee-Cee." He added, giving Charlie a smile.

"Cee-Cee?" Charlie paled, eyes wide.

"Yeah, Chief Charlie, or Charlie the Chief." Xander nodded with a bright grin. Charlie paused a moment, then shook his head, as if sensing what Xander was offering.

"Go on, you'll catch a cold if your out here to long. California makes people soft." Charlie chuckled, Xander didn't bother to correct that as he shut the car door, using his new cane to move up to the Cullen's drive.

Xander watched as Charlie drove away, before looking at his new cane. It wasn't an old guy cane. It was slim and light, like it was made out of a lightweight metal. It had been painted matte black, and the handle was comfortable in his hand. Xander had a brief thought on how to go about getting a skull for a handle. That would look super-cool. He turned as the door to the Cullen home opened, Edward stood waiting for him.

"Alice said you where coming, Esme's making cookies!" Edward called down. Xander felt his stomach growl.

"I'm coming." Xander grinned, moving up to the house.

Xander spared one more look for the direction Charlie had gone, something settling in his chest. He really did like Charlie, the guy was the best uncle a guy could ask for.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

School breaks where supposed to be a joy, not a chore. It was outrageous, to desecrate something so sacred. Girls never learned, and the older the girls where, the worse it got. Xander pinched the bridge of his nose, then froze in mortification at the repetition of one of Giles' most favorite exasperated motions.

"Not a fan of shopping?" Edward asked amused. Xander shook his head.

It wasn't that he wasn't grateful for the chance to go to the nearest mall to Forks, but really, how much debating did it take to decide between Salmon pink and pale pink. Girls always blew those things out of proportion.

"Not when it takes sixteen hours." Xander peered at Edward, who nodded in sympathy.

Around them, the other male Cullen's nodded, staying well out of the way of their debating wives. Xander couldn't help it, he was hungry, they where getting in the way of junk food. Looking at the men, he did something he would deny to his grave, he moved forward and gave his opinion. The three vampiric women paused a moment before turning to him.

"Are you sure, you don't think it would clash with the bathroom tiles?" Esme asked softly, holding the two swatches of curtain fabric.

"Nope, yay salmon pink, boo pale pink." Xander nodded, trying his best to sound opinionated.

"Aren't we trying for a new look though, I think blue would be much better. It will make the tiles look lighter." Rosalie offered.

Xander barely staunched the whimper, and he was thankful too. Less than two minutes later, the three girls had abandoned the pink and chosen a very nice blue. Relaxing, Xander made his way back to Edward.

"I'm going to get some food." Xander peered at the men. He felt a real need to go do something manly, like belch and fart in public.

"Burger or pizza?" Edward shook his head and steered Xander towards the food court.

"I have to choose?" Xander blinked in faux shock. Edward laughed in amusement, shaking his head whilst simultaneously stealing Xander's bags.

Xander gave Edward a sideways glance at that, but decided to let him off. If the eternal-teen wanted to carry the bags, he could, Xander wasn't above taking advantage of his super strength. Instead he continued his way to the food court. The cane making the task so much easier than it had been. He made a mental note to bribe Carlisle into buying Charlie some imported beer or something as a thank you.

"I don't think Carlisle would mind, he was over the moon that Charlie got you to stop straining your leg." Edward lent closer into Xander's personal space to murmur.

"Carlisle knew?" Xander paled.

"Yeah, he noticed it in the way you walk, but he thought you needed to come around on your own." Edward admitted. Xander shrugged.

It was a well known fact, that when Xander set his mind on something, he was focused. He was going to walk on a still healing leg, and he did. He would be eternally grateful to Charlie for the cane. He joined the queue in the burger place, eying the boards as he decided what he wanted. He kind of owed Carlisle an apology too it seemed. He sighed softly too himself. He wasn't used to having so may people really caring about him. He'd gone from Willow and Jessie, to Willow, then to Willow, Buffy and Giles. Joyce had joined that list shortly after. Now he had Charlie, Bella and the Cullen's as well. It was more than he'd ever dare to dream. He shook the potentially deep thoughts off as he stepped up to the counter and placed his order.

They fought their way to a table, Edward having ordered something mostly for show. They took a table in the corner, piling the bags by their seats. Xander eyed Edward thoughtfully as he dug into his fries.

"I've got a question." Xander stated. Edward arched a brow. "If sunlight doesn't hurt you, why do you disappear when the sun actually comes out?" Xander asked softly.

There where too many conversations going on to really be overheard, but still, better safe than sorry. He was glad he had spoke softly when Edward got a pinched look on his face, followed close by a grade A nuclear brooding expression.

"If sunshine hits us...people see the monster we are. " Edward murmured, looking away from Xander. Xander felt a weird twist in his gut, did they grow fangs or something? "We...We Sparkle." Edward admitted, head hanging. Xander blinked.

They sparkled. Edward was acting as if they turned into the ugliest, evilest mother-fuckers in all existence...and they sparkled. A snort bubbled up. They where Sparkle-pires. The snort grew into full blown laughter in a matter of seconds. Edward's eyes widened, then he glowered.

"I'm serious!" Edward imparted, like it was a great horror.

Xander held his sides, unable to help the laughter as he gasped for air. He knew they were drawing stares...but Sparkle-pires! Honestly, what self-respecting creature of the night sparkled! Xander gripped the table as the rest of the Cullen's appeared and joined them, tray's in hand and frowns on face's. They where a family of Sparkle-pires. They where Fairy-vamps. Xander laughed harder, as an image of the Cullen's appeared in his head. He could see perfectly, the long fangs glinting with animal blood as dainty, thin near transparent wings fluttered at their backs. Tackelberry howled with laughter in his head, just adding to Xander's already hysterical laughter, wheezing for air as he clutched at his ribs harder.

Edward's constipated look didn't help matters either.

After a brief bout of choking, Xander finally started to calm down, wiping at the tears that had trickled from his eyes. He couldn't help but shake his head. Edward really needed to take a look at some of the demons Xander had face on the hellmouth.

"Sorry, but really, that's the big secret?" Xander snickered as the Cullen's shifted around the table.

"You don't think its...bad?" Edward frowned.

"Oh hell no." Xander snickered again, shaking his head. "What self-respecting bad guy worries about sparkling." Xander eyed them. "Generally speaking, Sparkelies are for good guys, like pixies and unicorns and elves." Xander imparted solemnly. "Who the hell would be scared of Sparkle-pires?" He asked in amusement.

"Sparkle-pires!" Carlisle gave a strangled gasp. Xander nodded.

"You. Sparkle-pire." Xander pointed with a smirk. Emmet glowered.

"Hey, do not go ruining my big bad image, just because we saw you give the girls a suggestion." Emmet warned.

"Would you prefer Fairy-Vamps?" Xander bit his lip, grinning. Emmet, Edward, Jasper and Carlisle all got pained looks.

"I do." Alice nodded brightly.

"Oh I am so eating you." Emmet groaned, dropping his head onto his arms. Xander laughed.

"Get in line big-guy." Xander grinned.

Who would have thought there would actually exist a demon that sparkled like a fairy. Xander shook his head again and dug into his burger. His girls would never believe it.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The seat was hard under his sore butt, the space becoming more than cramped. Xander wiggled in the seat again, watching the scenery fly past the window. It had taken more begging and pleading than Xander knew he'd had in him, and even some very minute manipulation to get Charlie to agree. Eventually he had relented.

He was on his way to his old home and his girls, other wise known as Sunnyhell, But charlie didn't know that. Charlie was much with the not knowing about the supernatural, but Xander was pretty sure it was not something the police chief would take well. Letting out a little sigh, Xander's eyes flicked to the car behind him. He wasn't sure how Edward had convinced Charlie to let him tag on, but there he was, hidden in his car by tinted windows, Emmet and Rosalie with him. Bella and Jacob were on the back seat of Charlie's car both of them asleep.

Leaning up, Xander fiddled with the radio controls again, trying to find some semi-decent music. Charlie shook his head next to him, but kept his eyes on the road ahead.

"We should make Sunnydale by Sunset, then I think we should check into the motel." Charlie offered. "You can go and visit your friends, but you have to take someone with you." He added. Xander nodded.

Motels were not exactly the safest accommodation in Sunnydale, by any stretch of the imagination, so Xander was going to volunteer either Jacob or a Cullen to stay behind and guard whoever stayed. His good foot began tapping to the beat as he lent back into the seat, shifting until all his weight was one one hip, letting the circulation return to his ass. He watched another signpost fly by, feeling reassured that they were on their way. He made a mental note to pack something fun when he came back down for Buffy's birthday party next month.

Closing his eyes, Xander tried to relax and not think. It was easier said than done of course, and of its own violation, his mind wandered to his prognosis. Carlisle had given him a check up the day before, feeling his ribs, examining his leg, and shining the evil penlight of doom in his eyes. Again, Carlisle had been flabbergasted and amazed at Xander's state. His ribs had fully healed, he only had a little scar on his head from his brain surgery - and a rapidly growing out thin patch. His leg though, for some reason they couldn't determine, it hadn't healed properly, the bones had refused to follow the pins and brackets that had held his leg bones in place. Carlisle wanted to try removing them at some point. The doctor was undecided whether the warped healing was because of the pins, or the fact that Xander had taken the cast off way too early. After the remarkable healing his ribs had done, Carlisle was leaning more towards the pins in his being the cause of his painful limp.

Xander wasn't sure where this good healing came from however. Spot had healed quick that was true, but there was quick and then there was stupidly, weirdly, freakishly quick. Xander fell into the latter. He should have been stuck in hospital much longer than he had been. He shouldn't have been walking until the end of winter, and his ribs...well to say Carlisle was stunned at his recovery was like saying Oprah was just a Talk show host. In other words, it was an understatement of epic proportions. Unfortunately it still left Xander wondering where this good healing factor came from. He really didn't need some new oogily-boogily bad guy taking up residence in his skull

Letting out a soft sigh, he tried to think of something else, something that didn't worry him. Unfortunately, there wasn't right much of that at the moment. He wondered if it was the whole 'Going back to the Hellmouth' thing that was just worrying him in general. There was a sort of grim anticipation in his gut on top of the anticipation of seeing his girls and Giles. The grim anticipation was a kind of alien thing, getting stronger as he neared the Hellmouth. If he touched it, he could almost swear there was a small part of him just salivating at the thought of being back on top of the Hellmouth. He wondered briefly if it was a by-product of living on top of the thing all his life.

"We're almost there." Charlie nudged him.

Xander blinked, the yawn sneaking up on him. He was shocked when he realized he'd fallen asleep. Sitting up, he absently poked Jacobs knee as it poked through the front seats. The Quilieute snorted in his sleep, waking up with a yawn. Looking through the windows, Xander could just make out the town on the horizon, haloed in red from the setting sun.

It was a rather apt sight, Xander mused. The red of the setting sun made the town look to be bathed in blood, the last rays of actual sun looked to be bending around the town. For a moment, it actually looked like what it was. A Hellmouth. Then it changed, it began to look like a normal town at sunset as they passed the welcome to Sunnydale sign. Xander felt a grin of amusement twitched his lips when he realized someone had crossed out the dale and wrote hell. Yup, he was home.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The Hellmouth was almost a tangible presence now, Xander could feel it against his skin, crackling and teasing. Like a flame that didn't burn, a ghosted touch that made his hair stand on end. It was like a whisp of smoke that teased and caressed. If Xander didn't know any better, he'd say the Hellmouth was welcoming him home. He couldn't remember this feeling living here, but now it was all around him. It thrummed in his veins, and pulsed like a heartbeat. He could smell it on the air, a sort of wet ozone smell that tasted like pop rocks on his tongue. He felt like the billion dollar man with a side of Superman and a helping of the Hulk.

He left his cane in Edward's car as he looked up at the Bronze, eyes roving over the gaggle of all around the street. Seven O'clock on a Saturday night and there was really only one place his girls could be. He led the way to the club, the music loud enough to vibrate the pavement under his feet. He had the cover charge in his hand and with a nod to the doorman, Xander led his gaggle of companions into the Bronze.

The dingos where on stage, just starting their set by the looks of things. The place was already buzzing with teenagers, the dance floor half full. Bella was looking around in wide eyed shock, holding onto Jacob's arm tightly. Edward was at his back, looking around and trying not to wince. Rosalie and Emmet were bringing up the rear.

His plan to get someone to stay behind with Charlie had fallen flat on its face, the older man practically kicking them all out of the room. The chief had obviously had enough of the teens for one day, so Xander had accidentally tripped and sprayed his handy sports bottle of holy water all over the front door, and scratched some crosses into some paint work. Last but not least, he'd laid down salt when Charlie was in the bathroom. Hopefully it would keep the man safe for a few hours. If that didn't work, the bag of vampire ashes Xander had showered the other hallway probably would.

Shaking off his musings, Xander scanned the crowd again, spotting a very familiar shock of bright red hair. He set off, cutting through the crowd and shoving his way past. Buffy spotted him first, her eyes widening and a bright smile lighting up her face. He could just make out Willow asking if Angel had turned up as he crept up behind his Will's. Once he was close enough, he brought his hands up, covering her eyes as he whispered in her ear.

"Guess who." He ordered. She froze a second before launching herself up and off the stool, eyes wide as she turned to him.

"XANDER!"

Xander barely had time to brace himself as she launched herself at him, attaching herself to him in a super hug. Her thin arms attempting to try and squeeze the life out of him. Xander chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off the floor, twirling her for good measure before setting her down.

"You're here!" Willow began to bounce on her toes, a big bright grin lighting up her face as she pulled away.

"That I am." Xander nodded sagely, looking at Buffy as she neared, "Buffster, hows it going?" He asked.

"Gimme a hug you big goofball." Buffy grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. "I'm glad your better." She murmured. Xander patted her back.

"I'm like a bad penny Buffy, I always come back." Xander promised.

"Well I'm glad. It hasn't been the same without you here." Buffy pulled away, giving him a small sad smile.

"well no, you're missing the Xander-brand goodness." Xander nodded wisely.

"Yes we are." Willow hugged his arm, then looked over his shoulder. "Did you bring friends?" She asked.

"That I did." Xander waved them forward, sitting up to the table. "Will's, Buff, this is my cousin Bella, her other half Jacob. That's Edward, Emmet and Rosalie, my friends from Forks." Xander introduced. "Guy's these two lovely ladies are my girls. Together we fight the icky things that crawl out of the Hellmouth." Xander told them as they took seats.

"You guys are like super-hero's." Bella smiled at Buffy and Willow, who where gaping at Xander.

"You told them!" Buffy glared.

"Well yeah, they helped me with the big bug that tried to spit acid puke at me." Xander nodded at his girls. "Didn't Giles tell you?" He asked.

"There really are nice demons out there then?" Buffy fiddled with her cup, looking at it.

"Well, there aren't any demon's in Forks, just magical creature type people." Xander offered softly, grabbing her hand and squeezing. "If its here and causing mayhem, its slay worthy." Xander promised. She gave him a meek smile.

"I never felt bad about slaying until he told us Xan." Buffy shrugged. "I get that if its here and causing crap, its slay worthy, but...I never worried that they might actually be people type things before." She sighed.

"Definitely wigg-worthy." Willow agreed, pouting. She poked Xander in the arm. "How long are you staying for?" She asked gently.

"We have to head back tomorrow night. Charlie has to go back to work on Tuesday." Xander admitted. "But I am coming back for Buffy's birthday." He reassured when both girls looked glum. They perked up.

"Yay." Buffy beamed at him.

"So what have my Girls been up to while I haven't been here to watch?" Xander asked.

"School, slaying the demon of the week, patrolling, the usual." Willow listed, her nose wrinkled. "Spike and Dru are up to something." She added.

"Yeah. The towns crawling with new vamps one night, then they've all disappeared the next night." Buffy nodded, frowning. "A school bus had a accident the other week." She looked away from the table.

"Middle school students on their way back from a field trip." Willow informed him, eyes sad.

"Did they get turned?" Xander blinked, stomach twisting.

"We don't know, the bus just vanished." Buffy shrugged, tone sad.

"If a school bus vanished, the FBI would be all over the place looking for the kids." Emmet shook his head, face dark.

"Nothing gets out of Sunnydale, it's all kept in house. The mayor went out and said that the bus had been in a major accident where no one survived, but nothings been found. There were no bodies, no wreck...it's just...gone." Willow shook her head, hands waving. "I can't find anything in the police database or anything." She glowered, looking at her soda glumly.

"Damn, I wonder what there up to?" Xander frowned.

"Other than gathering an army." Buffy shrugged. "Its weird though, because the death rate's actually dropped. The only people dieing at the moment are the ones being turned. The're not actually feeding on the town...and the're not turned by minions either, some of them are actually smart." Buffy frowned.

"You know, I wouldn't mind having a look at these demonic vampires." Rosalie's lip curled, hands clenched into fists. Emmet nodded.

"Killing kids...I wouldn't mind tearing them apart." He nodded solidly.

"...Could you actually do that though?" Bella looked at the Cullens

"Yep, they can." Xander nodded, eying them. Buffy frowned at them, but shrugged a moment later.

"At this point, I'll take all the help I can get." Buffy admitted sourly, but her eyes showed just how scared she was.

Spike and Dru were up to something and it really could not be good.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The factory was full, in every corner there were dozens of minions. They had amassed themselves an army. If his Sire wanted him to go up against stone type demons, he was bloody well going to have the numbers in his favour. He watched his princess twirl across the floor again, happy as a clam. Something was about to go down, he could feel it.

Kicking a minion out of his way, he moved towards his wicked plum, snatching her hand and pulling her two him. She mewled at his grip, giving him a coy smile, letting him lead the dance as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"Your in a very good mood luv." He commented, twirling them along the factory floor.

"My kitten's here Spike. He's come home to the maw, and it likes him." She stroked her fingers up the leather of his jacket clad arm.

"And you want me to steal him back for you luv?" Spike twirled her, smirking as the minions went running for cover. She gave him the sweetest smile.

"Yes." She nodded simply, a brief bout of sanity clearing her eyes as she stood still. Her head tilted up to peer at him under hooded eyelids, crooking her finger. "Want to know a secret my sweet William?" She asked wickedly. Spike moved closer without hesitation.

Her lips brushed his ear as she lent in to whisper in his ear, her hands resting against his shoulder.

"A child of the Hellmouth Spike, he stinks of it he does." Her tongue traced the shell of his ear and he shuddered.

"Is that right luv." He grabbed her hips hard, smirking wider at the giggle she let out.

"Oh Spikey, if you go now, you'll find him all alone. Stay away from the pale ones, they bite." She pulled away from him, dismissing him as she turned her attention to the ceiling, a hum building in her chest as she twirled.

Spike sighed a moment, cursing women and their games. His eyes swept the factory floor, arching an eyebrow at the minions just stood there dumbly. He sighed exasperatedly.

"You heard her, move people, we have a Kitten to catch." He growled, letting out his true face when they didn't move fast enough. They scattered like sheep.

With one last look at his Dark Princess, Spike shook his head and squared his shoulders, heading off into the night. It had taken time and a lot of beatings to get an army assembled. He hadn't wanted the blond chit dusting all his cannon fodder, they where going to be used for baiting away these stone pillocks who had his Sire's kitten. He'd be damned if he lost the bloody thing because he didn't have enough minions to throw at them.

He strode down the street, nose open for anything or anyone that smelled of the Hellmouth. A Hellmouth child was a rare thing in this world. Almost as rare as a Slayer they were. They tasted of Dark power and magics so arcane it could pop the head off a lesser Vampire. A Hellmouth child was to be tasted but not drained, and if turned...well they where a force to be reckoned with. If he remembered his Clan Lore right, Ol' Heinrich Nest had been a Hellmouth Child before he's been turned. He'd become The Master in less than 50 years, something that had never been heard of before, or since. He'd ruled the clan with an iron fist and a blood thirst for centuries before finally getting locked under the damn high school.

Spike shook his head.

It was rather funny, truth be told. Hellmouth Children had a nasty habit of not knowing what they were, and then dieing some stupid inane death. Trampled by horses or passing from old age. It was a pity, Hellmouth Children had such a talent for Chaos too. Where they went, Chaos followed. The dark energies they'd soaked up radiated out, leaving a wake of pure unadulterated Chaos. While Spike wasn't a Chaos worshiper, he knew fun when he saw it. He gave a shark like smile, cutting through a graveyard

His minions weren't too far ahead, just meandering for a moment as they tried to sniff out his Sire's kitten. He didn't bother letting them know it took a keen nose to search the scent out. On a Hellmouth, the smell of a Hellmouth Child was practically masked. The only difference on a hellmouth, was that a Hellmouth child smelled better than the other humans around them. He froze as he caught the sent of something dangerous. Not just something, a few somethings.

The breeze carried the scent of the Slayer, coiled and mixed with something else. He felt the snarl rise up, and he took another step back. Fifty minions were no where near enough against Immortals. Snarling, Spike retreated, keeping down wind of them. Edging away from the main fight while looking for a good area to observe.

Angelus had taken great care to beat it into him, to ignore the urge to tear into the Immortals the moment they saw or sniffed them out. They might glitter like poof's, but the tossers where as hard as marble, and stronger than demonic vampires. What they had in physical ability however, they lacked in control. It was why immortals where so rare. Most didn't have the control to stop feeding before their pray died, and once drained, the venom had no delivery system to convert the host body.

Scaling the side of a mausoleum, he stuck low to the roof as his eyes scanned the area. At the other end of the graveyard, he could just make out the Slayer with Three Immortals. If Dru's' Kitten had been claimed by Immortals...it could turn very sticky. Then again, if they where here, with his army of canon fodder, the Kitten would be unguarded. Waiting just long enough for the first group of minions to engage the Immortals, he slid off the mausoleum and ran.

If the Immortals had trained their pet right, he should be close enough for them to get to, but out of any immediate danger, if they realized his value that is. Nodding to himself, he leaped over the wall encircling the graveyard, his duster fluttering in the air. He came to a stop as he rounded a street corner, tilting his head as he observed the Slayers two friends. They were stood in the orange pool of light from a streetlamp. T hey had a dark haired bint with them and some bloke that smelled a bit like a dog or a werewolf. Creeping closer, he inhaled deeply, scenting them, something niggling at him. He dismissed the dog immediately, the dark haired girl soon after. That left the Slayers friends.

He turned, dismissing them when the breeze wafted their scents, the force of the wind carried their scents much better than diffusion, and Spike felt his eyes widen. Turning, he eyed the boy speculatively, a wicked grin crossing his lips. This was a treat, the Slayers lap dog was this Hellmouths favored human. The same Slayers lap dog that had been offered to him as a Sire's gift. He began to creep up on them, staying silent as their focus remained on the graveyard.

He was almost on them before He turned, as if sensing Spikes approach. Spike didn't bother with anything fancy, he cleared the distance in a second, slapping the smart one down for the count. The boy went straight for the stake, the dark haired girl and the dog just gawping for the few milliseconds it took to put them down. He grabbed the wrist that swung at him, squeezing until the stake clattered to the asphalt.

"Now now luv, that's not very nice." He roughly shifted his grip on the boy, covering his mouth as he began to tug him quickly away from the fallen humans. He was pretty sure he hadn't killed them unfortunately.

The human kicked and struggled as Spike practically carried him away, ignoring the sloppy hits the boy landed. There was a bit of strength in him now, but he was untrained. When Spike figured he'd put enough distance between him and the Immortals he pushed the boy into an alley, slamming him up against the wall and holding him there with his body. The boy stilled in a second, eyes wide. He only smelled faintly of fear, not as much as Spike would have preferred.

"Now pet, you have two choices. When I move my hand, you can either be quiet, or make noise. If you make noise, I'll go back and snap that little red headed birds neck. Are we clear?" Spike eyed his prize. The boy nodded after a second. "M' Sire offered yer' ta me pet, and M' collecting. You try to run and I'm gonna break your legs." Spike licked his upper lip as he eyed the boy. The little runt was a bit of alright he was. The boy swallowed.

"What are you gonna do with me?" Xander asked softly, but his voice didn't break or quiver as he shifted, trying to get a bit of space. Spike pressed against him harder, his groin pressing against the runts quite deliciously in Spikes opinion.

"I think I'll have a little taste." Spike smirked, rewarded when the boy gave off a wave of fear. The boy's eyes went wide.

Grabbing the gits hair, he yanked the head to the side, exposing a pulsing jugular. Leaning in, Spike felt his true face ripple into being, running his nose down the skin and inhaled Xander's scent.

"Wait!" The boy gasped, but didn't fight. Spike lifted his head, arching an eye brow. "I've been wondering." The boy began, looking away shyly.

"Wot'?" Spike frowned, pulling away a little, still holding the boy firmly in his hands. The Boy shifted a little, giving off all the signs of a coy little virgin who really just wanted to play. Dark eye's flicked up to peer innocently at him.

"Are you a Billy or a Willy?" The boy asked.

Spike snarled and lunged, he'd missed the little shit palming a stake, but he sure as fuck felt it. He jerked back as the stake pierced his right peck, sliding into his lung but missing its mark. The second the boy had enough room, he was off like a shot.

Ripping the stake out, Spike growled and gave chase. The little bugger was fast, that was for sure, but he was faster. He'd almost caught up with the little shit when he rounded a corner. Following Spike knew he had the git dead to rights. At least until he saw the immortals. Figuring retreat was the better part of valor, Spike gave the boy one last look. He'd get his Dru her Kitten, even if he had to turn the sod to do it. Turning on his heel, he ran.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Xander shivered as Edward growled again, shooting him a small glare and heading to the bathroom. Edward was not a happy bunny that was for sure, the stupid Vampire guy had been growling on and off since Xander had escaped from Spike. Apparently, at least according to Emmet, Xander was covered in Spike's scent and Edward didn't find that amusing in the least. It didn't matter that Xander had explained what had happened, Edward still kept on growling all the way back to the motel.

It was kind of nice, but at the same time it was more than a little annoying, so Xander headed for the shower for the second time that night, shaking his head in annoyance. Really, it wasn't his fault Spike had been very...Grabby. Grabby and taking no notice of any personal boundaries, and very much with the naughty touching. Lots of naughty touching that didn't feel very naughty, but very good. Shaking his head, Xander climbed into the shower stall. If Edward growled at him again, he was going to hit the near invulnerable idiot in the head. It wasn't like Edward actually had justification to growl at him, they weren't together. There was no call for it. If he wanted growling rights when Xander was covered in someone Else's scent, he should ask Xander out. Xander nodded to himself solidly.

Xander paused as he soaped himself up, blinking the water from his eyes. He had to admit, he wasn't adverse to the idea, in fact he really didn't mind that idea at all. He really really didn't mind that idea. Closing his eyes tightly, he tried hard to banish that thought before he ended up doing something he didn't really want people with super hearing to hear.

Quickly and methodically, he began scrubbing down, mentally reviewing the weapon statistics Tackelberry wanted him to know off by heart. It helped steer his mind clear of a potentially mortifying situation at least. Rinsing off, Xander climbed out of the shower, toweled off and headed back into the bedroom with the towel wrapped securely around his waist.

Edward was alone in the room they would be sharing with Emmet and Jacob. Rosalie and Bella would be sharing one, while Charlie had another. At least that was Charlie's plan, but Charlie had long since crashed out. Edward was going over one of the books Giles had given them when they'd dropped in for a very quick report.

"Where are...?" He began.

"They went to get something to eat." Edward offered, looking up. Xander shifted as Edward's look became a stare.

"I just hope they don't try to take on some mutated animal thing the Hellmouth spat out." Xander shrugged, moving to his bag.

"I'm sure they can handle it." Edward offered distractedly.

"What about you, your not hungry?" Xander looked at Edward over his shoulder, blushing at the dark eyes raking over his back. Maybe he should have taken a change of clothes into the bathroom.

"No...not really..." Edward murmured, slowly dragging his eyes up.

Xander shivered and turned to look at Edward fully, he decided it was time they had a little chat. If Edward's look was anything to go by, Edward might be returning the maybe liking Xander had going on.

"O.K. I need to ask you something and you probably aren't gonna like it, but its tough I'm gonna ask you any way." Xander crossed his arms over his chest. Edward blinked a moment before focusing on Xander's face. "Do you like me or do you just want to eat me? Because if you just want to eat me, your giving off way to many mixed signals." Xander waved his finger between the two of them.

"What?" Edward blinked in shock, standing up. "I don't want to eat you!" He denied. Xander blinked in shock, shifting on his feet.

"So you like me?" Xander asked softly, frowning. Maybe he shouldn't have started this.

"I do" Edward looked away, biting his lip. "I know it's not right, I'm a monster and your not." Edward sighed softly.

Xander blinked again, then once more for good measure. Edward really was people stupid Xander decided, and just plain stupid in general.

"Oh Kay." Xander began slowly. "First off, your not a monster. Yeah your kinda like a statue, and yeah you drink animal blood to live. Emphasis on the Animal blood here. This does not a monster make." Xander stepped forward and poked Edward in the chest when he snorted dismissively.

"Hey I'm talking here, your listening!" He poked again for good measure, nodding when Edward looked suitably cowed.

"Yes I Know you probably have some deep dark shit in your past, but I'm guessing that's way over. Everyone has it, and if they aren't the human kinda normal, its fucked up. Hell Spot nearly made me rape Buffy because Buffy was a threat and Spot wanted to prove her dominance. I killed my Best friend Jessie when Darla turned him. That's pretty bad shit which ever way you look at it." Xander scowled at Edward. Edward blinked owlishly at him a moment.

"But your human, I'm not." Edward murmured.

"Ed, I don't know what the fuck I am anymore, but I doubt its as human as we think." Xander looked away from Edward a moment. The sooner they both accepted that, the better Xander conceded. "So either you like me and you stop this crap and we do something about mutual likage, or you keep doing that crap and mutual likeage goes out the window. You have to pick, because these mixed signals are annoying the hell out of me." Xander stepped back, grabbed his clothes and stalked into the bathroom to get changed.

Leaning back against the door, Xander let out a shaky breath, feeling his hands tremble. What the fuck had he just done? This was so not of the good. Rubbing his face, Xander sucked in a deep lung full of air. He had no idea where that had come from. He'd gone from shying away from Spike's naughty touching to wanting lots of naughty touching with Edward, to nearly demanding it. He dropped his head against the door, shivering. Counting to ten, he forced himself to relax focusing on his boxers first. Oh yeah, he was heading for a major freak out at some point.

Pulling the boxers up over his hips, Xander nearly jumped from his skin at the soft knock on the bathroom door. Setting his shirt on the counter, he opened the door a crack, peering out. Edward looked at him through the gap, looking confused and more than a little worried.

"Um..." Xander shifted, peering at Edward, unsure what to say.

"I'm not human." Edward peered at him, his amber eyes had a deep sadness in them.

"I kinda knew that already." Xander nodded, frowning as he tried to see where Edward might be going with it.

"I've never been involved with anybody." Edward looked away, and if he could, Xander would bet he'd be blushing.

"The only person I've ever dated was Willow, she broke up with me when I stole her Barbie." Xander replied softly, rubbing the back of his head.

They where talking, that was something at least. Xander wasn't sure if it was good or bad yet. He felt like hitting himself, instead he opened the door wider, resting against the doorframe.

"I don't know...How anything would work." Edward sighed, looking at Xander with a mix of hope and worry.

It shocked Xander that he actually knew how to tell the emotions on Edwards face. They must have spent more time together than Xander had realized. Xander bit his lip, looking at the floor.

"Neither do I." Xander admitted. "I went from being all on the yay! Titties train to, being all maybe liking guys." Xander told Edward softly. Edward snorted softly, a small grin twitching at his lips. Xander shifted, fighting the urge to crack a stupid one liner.

"So you maybe like me?" Edward asked knowingly, Xander flushed.

"Maybe." Xander nodded. He took a deep breath, looking at Edward's face for a long moment. "Do you maybe wanna find out?" He asked quickly, screwing his eyes up as he waited for the inevitable let down.

Xander froze as a cool hand touched his cheek, opening his eyes to frown at Edward. This wasn't a let down, at least not yet.

"I'd like that." Edward murmured. Xander let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding, eyes wide.

"You do?" Xander blinked in stunned shock.

"I do." Edward agreed, smiling softly.

Xander blinked again, shivering as the cool thumb brushed his cheek, stroking ever so gently. He suddenly felt very naked stood there in just his boxers under a towel. Edward inhaled sharply, a strange sort of humming sound building in the center of his chest. Xander shivered again.

Xander could hear his heart beat, strong but steady as he just breathed. The two of them frozen there in a long moment that seemed almost time less. Tilting forward just a little, the moment changed, cool lips brushing over his, cool all around him as Edward stepped closer. Almost hesitantly, Xander let his hands wander, starting at a wrist before slowly sliding up hard, if a little slim arms, feeling muscles like granite bunch and tremble under his fingertips.

Reluctantly, Xander pulled away to suck in some air, opening his eyes to look up at Edward. The dark, almost black eyes made him shiver again as he caught his breath, the hands on his back and face like a soothing balm against his hot skin. Licking his lips, Xander couldn't help the lopsided grin. Edward tilted his head questioningly.

"I am so Gay." Xander admitted. Edward laughed, but didn't let go, his hold tightening just a little. Oh yeah, he was so Gay, and he was so into Edward.


End file.
